| Chapter 4 - Plural Nouns Formation |
Inventory on the plural of nouns :
In Somali, there is not one, but four ways to form the plural of nouns :
- By adding a vowel suffix to the end of the name, usually -o ; -yo ; -oyin or -yaal.
- By reduplicating a monosyllabic noun.
- By making a tonal change on the noun : prosodic plural.
- By adding a complex suffix : irregular plural.
For a given noun, the formation used is always the same.
Another feature of Somali is that a number of nouns switch gender when they are plural.
Detailed review of different types of plurals :
Type 1 - Feminine in singular, masculine in plural, with "-o" ending
Singular does not end in /-o/.
Plural is formed by adding /-o/ or /-yo/ after /i/.
Singular (absolutive) has high tone on the
last syllable.
Vowel loss occurs in plural if phonological conditions are met.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
káb |
kabo |
shoe |
náag |
naago |
woman |
irbád |
irbado |
needle |
mindí |
mindiyo |
knife |
nimrád |
nimrado |
numeral |
gacán |
gacmo |
hand |
galáb |
galbo |
afternoon |
madág |
madago or madko |
fire-stick |
qolóf |
qolfo |
husk |
Type 2 - Masculine in singular, feminine in plural, with "-o" ending
Singular is always polysyllabic and does not end in -e.
Plural is formed by adding /-o/ and doubling last consonant if /b/, /d/, /dh/, /l/, /r/, /n/, /m/, or by adding /-yo/ after /i/, /x/, /c/, /q/, and sometimes after /s/ or /g/.
Divided into two subgroups on the basis of tonal behavior :
Type 2a :
This is the majority case.
Singular ends in HL sequence on last two moras
The last two moras can be either one or two syllables ; rest of singular is L.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
baabùur |
baabuurro |
truck |
darìiq |
dariiqyo |
road |
dísti |
distiyo |
cooking pot |
dhínac |
dhinacyo |
side |
muftax |
muftaxyo |
key |
nácas |
nacasyo |
fool |
sánnad |
sannaddo |
year |
wáddan |
waddammo |
country |
Type 2b :
Not more than 50 words in the language.
Singular has L tone throughout
However, L tone is exceptional in that the last syllable does not lower before a pause.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
abti |
abtiyo |
maternal uncle |
durmaan |
durmaanno |
drum |
gorgor |
gorgorro |
vulture |
huudhi |
huudhiyo |
canoe |
markhaati |
markhaatiyo |
witness |
sombob |
sombobbo |
lung |
suldaan |
suldaanno |
sultan |
Type 3 - Masculine in both singular and plural, with "-o" / "-yo" ending
Singular ends with a consonant, or in -i.
Plural is formed by adding /-o/, or /-yo/ after /i/.
Singular (absolutive) ends in HL sequence on last two moras.
Vowel loss can occur in plural.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
gárab |
garbo |
shoulder blade |
hílib |
hilbo |
meat |
ílig |
ilko |
tooth |
jílib |
jilbo |
knee |
qódob |
qodbo or qodobbo |
article |
xádhig |
xadhko |
rope |
xáraf |
xarfo |
letter (of the alphabet) |
béri |
beryo |
day |
gúri |
guryo |
house |
nàas |
naaso |
breast |
Type 4 - Masculine in both singular and
plural, with reduplication
Singular is always monosyllabic.
Plural is formed by reduplicating the last consonant, preceded by /a/.
Singular (absolutive) has HL pattern if syllable is long, otherwise H.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
áf |
afaf |
mouth, language |
bùug |
buugag |
book |
dáb |
dabab |
fire |
mìis |
miisas |
table |
nín |
niman |
men |
sán |
sanan |
nose |
tùug |
tuugag |
thief |
wán |
wanan |
ram |
xèer |
xeerar |
traditional law |
xòor |
xoorar |
ratel (honey badger) |
Type 5 - Masculine in singular, feminine in plural, with tonal change
This type is a small group.
Tone is final HL in singular ; final LH in plural.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
àwr |
áwr |
male camel |
bálli |
ballí |
pond |
Cárab |
Caráb |
Arab |
díbi |
dibí |
bull |
èy |
éy |
dog |
mádax |
madáx |
head, chief |
órgi |
orgí |
male goat |
Soomáali |
Soomaalí |
Somali (person) |
Xabáshi |
Xabashí |
Ethiopian |
yèy |
yéy |
wolf |
Many of these nouns have a regular plural, e.g. the noun èy "dog" can take the plural eyo.
Type 6 - Feminine in singular, masculine in plural, with "-oyin" ending
Singular always ends in -o.
Plural is formed by adding /-oyin/.
Both singular and plural have final HL sequence on last two syllables.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
ayéeyo |
ayeeyóoyin |
grandmother |
dáwo |
dawóoyin |
medicine |
éeddo |
eeddóoyin |
maternal aunt |
hóoyo |
hooyóoyin |
mother |
magáalo |
magaalóoyin |
town |
shéeko |
sheekóoyin |
story |
tálo |
talóoyin |
decision |
wáddo |
waddóoyin |
road |
Type 7 - Masculine in singular, feminine in plural, with "-yaal" ending
Singular always ends in -e.
Plural is formed by adding /-yaal/ and changing final /e/ to /a/.
Singular has penultimate-syllable H.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
áabe |
aabayaal |
father |
agaasíme |
agaasimayaal |
director |
báre |
barayaal |
teacher |
danjíre |
danjirayaal |
ambassador |
fúre |
furayaal |
key |
jáalle |
jaallayaal |
comrade |
madaxwéyne |
madaxweynayaal |
president |
túke |
tukayaal |
crow |
xogháye |
xoghayayaal |
secretary |
Type 8 - Irregular plurals
Arabic broken plurals
From the examples given, it seems singular has final HL (moras), plural has final H.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
búnduq |
banaadíiq |
rifle |
kúrsi |
kuraasí |
chair |
márkab |
maraakíib |
ship |
maxbùus |
maxaabíis |
prisoner |
These nouns may be given a regular plural ; for example the noun kúrsi "chair" can be found with the plural form kursiyo.
Rare plurals
Addition of /-an/ or /-aan/ is cited.
From the examples given, it seems singular has final
HL (moras), plural has final H.
Singular absolute |
Plural absolute |
Translation |
úgax |
ugxáan |
egg |
dhágax |
dhagxán |
stone |
qálin |
qalmáan |
pen |
May also be found with regular endings : úgax can be treated as a Type 5 noun, qálin can be treated as a Type 3 noun.
An ordered chaos :
After analyzing the different ways to form a plural in Somali, we now propose to "predict" the plural of a noun empirically : for behind the apparent chaos are hidden a few simple rules : bear to mind that a young Somali child is capable of giving the plural of any noun without mistake !
- Don't bother if the noun is masculine or feminine : it doesn't matter at this stage.
- In 90% of cases, a singular noun forms its plural by adding -o or -yo at the end !
- If the singular noun already ends in -o, it forms its plural by adding -oyin.
- If the singular noun ends in -e, it forms its plural by adding -yaal.
- If the singular noun is monosyllabic, it generally forms its plural by reduplication.
- The only difficult cases (no more than 5% of nouns) are nouns that form their plurals by changing the tone, or irregular plurals, but even then, there is often an alternative form in -o !
Quiz :
Click HERE to take the quiz.
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