Questions & Answers about Мы сохраняем имена вождей нашего племени.
Why is the word for names имена in this sentence?
Имена is the plural form of the neuter noun имя (name). Because it is the direct object of the verb ("we preserve the names"), it is in the accusative case. For inanimate neuter nouns, the accusative plural is identical to the nominative plural. Notice how the stem expands with -ен- to form the plural: имя becomes имена.
The dictionary word for tribe is племя. Why does it change to племени here?
Племя is one of the special neuter nouns ending in -мя. In this sentence, it is in the genitive case because it means "of the tribe". When declining these -мя nouns in any singular case except the nominative and accusative, you replace the -я with the suffix -ен- before adding the standard case ending. For the genitive singular, the ending is -и, giving us племени.
Why do we use the singular нашего if we are talking about multiple leaders and multiple names?
Modifiers must agree with the exact noun they are attached to. Here, нашего modifies племени (tribe), which is singular—it is "of our tribe", not "of our tribes". Because племя is a neuter noun in the genitive singular, the pronoun наше takes the neuter genitive singular form нашего.
How is вождей formed from the dictionary form вождь (leader)?