Colognian declension

1. A demonstrative article, or stressed definite article, marks a select or specific one out of a set of possible ones, or a focused, special, specific, or only one. Anaphora always uses a stressed definite article, while exophora usually uses some pointing supplement such as heh (here) or doh (there), which may be prepended or appended to a noun phrase led by an article.
   • Example:[1] dat Faaratt un kei ander (this pushbike, not another one)
2. An unstressed definite article is used to mark something unambiguous, known, having been mentioned already, not having a focus, or something general, but not arbitrary.
   • Example:[1] et Faaratt es em Hoff (the pushbike is in the backyard)
3. An indefinite article marks something arbitrary, something unspecific, unspecified ones out of many, something general, or lacking individuality.
   • Example:[1] e Faaratt ussem Laade (a pushbike from a shop)
4. A possessive article marks something as being part of, belonging to or relating to something else.
   • Example:[1] Ühre Bus (your-PL bus)
     Colognian has possessive pronouns which can replace articles in phrases and expressions. In other words, a sentence can have either a possessive pronoun or an article in those positions but not both. Thus, these possessive pronouns can also be termed possessive articles when used in such cases. Since declension does not differ for possessive pronouns and possessive articles, declension is listed only once, under Possessive Pronouns.

Colognian demonstrative pronouns are used in sentences in positions where a noun phrase led by a stressed or demonstrative article could be used as well. The pronoun 'replaces' it for brevity. In fact, a demonstrative pronoun can formally be seen as a noun phrase with the article retained and anything else spared, because grammar forms of demonstrative pronouns and those of demonstrative articles exhibit no differences. Demonstrative pronouns are either strict anaphora, or can be cataphora being resolved within the same or next sentence or subsentence. The use as exophora is possible and reduces the choice of intonation and stress patterns to exactly one, most commonly supported by appropriate gestures.

• Example[1] of cataphoric use: Es dat Ding Auto? (Is this your car? , Is that your car?)
• Example[1] of anaphoric use: Dää küt noch! (Even though not yet here, he will come!)

There are personal pronouns for a variety of uses in Colognian. They all have in common that they link declension with an aspect of conjugation with their forms. While Colognian declension follows a case, gender, number scheme, the personal pronouns also decline for person. This scheme includes three grammatical persons: the 1st person which refers to the speaker or speakers as agents or patients of a sentence; the 2nd person which addresses the listener or listeners of the speaker or speakers as agents or patients of a sentence; and the 3rd person which refers to something or someone else besides the speaker(s) or the listener(s) as the agents or patients of a sentence. These three persons may be found in two grammatical numbers: singular and plural. Thus declined forms of personal pronouns reflect case, gender, person and number.

Most possessive pronouns have two distinct uses, though some have three.

1. A possessive pronoun can replace an article, which is why Colognian possessive pronouns can also be called possessive articles.
   • Example:[1] et Auto → ding Auto (the car → your car)
2. Like a demonstrative pronoun, a possessive pronoun can stand alone representing an entire noun phrase. Its use can be exophoric or strict anaphoric; a cataphoric use must be resolved within the same or next sentence or sub-sentence.
   • Example:[1] minge kanns de han (you can have mine)
3. One of the Cologinan genitives, namely the form having to precede its referent, can also be described as a possessive expression having the form: article-dative + noun-dative + possessive-pronoun-3rd person-nominative
   • Example:[1] em Pap singe Poste (fathers post or position)