 | Chapter 05 - The Definite Nouns |
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Inventory on the Nouns :
There are two grammatical genders in Somali : masculine and feminine gender.
All nouns belong to either gender. Yet, a plural noun may differ in gender from its singular counterpart : this is a phenomenon called "gender polarity".
Gender is not marked on undefinite nouns : definite nouns only show grammatical gender.
An undefinite noun becomes definite by adding a definite marker whose role is somehow equivalent to that of the English definite article.
◊ Unlike in English, the definite article in Somali is not a separate word but a suffix added to the end of the noun :
- -ka, -ga and -ha are masculine definite suffixes.
- -ta, -sha and -da are feminine definite suffixes.
◊ On plural nouns, the definite suffix is always placed after the plural suffix :
Noun + plural suffix + definite suffix.
It should be noted that there are no specific definite suffixes for the plural: the same suffixes as in the singular are used, while respecting any potential changes in gender!
Masculine Nouns :
◊ Masculine definite suffixes are : -ka, -ga, -ha
| Example : | nin (a man) | → ninka (the man) |
| niman (men) | → nimanka (the men) | |
| Example : | guri (a house) | → guriga (the house) |
| guriyo (houses) | → guriyaha (the houses) | |
◊ Nouns ending in -g do not take -ga but -a :
| Example : | buug (a book) | → buuga (the book) |
| buugag (books) | → buugaga (the books) |
◊ Some typically masculin nouns can take a feminin definite suffix in plural :
| Example : | abti (maternal uncle) | → abtiga (the maternal uncle) |
| abtiyo (maternal uncles) | → abtiyada (the maternal uncles) | |
| Example : | adeer (paternal uncle) | → adeerka (the paternal uncle) |
| adeero (paternal uncles) | → adeerada (the paternal uncles) | |
Feminine Nouns :
◊ Feminine definite suffixes are : -ta, -sha, -da, -dha
| Example : | cunto (food) | → cuntada (the food) |
| cuntooyin (foods) | → cuntooyinka (the foods) | |
| Example : | gabadh (girl) | → gabdha (the girl) |
| gab(a)dho (girls) | → gab(a)dhaha (the girls) | |
| Example : | hal (she-camel) | → halsha (the she-camel) |
| halo (she-camels) | → halaha (the she-camels) | |
| Example : | náag (woman) | → naagta (the woman) |
| naago (women) | → naagaha (the women) | |
◊ Some typically feminine nouns can take a masculin definite suffix in plural :
| Example : | hooyo (mother) | → hooyada (the mother) |
| hooyooyin (mothers) | → hooyooyinka (the mothers) | |
| Example : | edo (paternal aunt) | → edada (the paternal aunt) |
| edooyin (paternal aunts) | → edooyinka (the paternal aunts) | |
Other examples :
| Type | SINGULAR | PLURAL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| undefinite | definite | undefinite | definite | |
| 1 | midí a knife |
midída the knife |
midiyo knives |
midiyada the knives |
| 2 | dáwo a medicine |
dawóoda the medicine |
dawóooyin medicines |
dawóooyinka the medicines |
| 3 | muftax a key |
muftaxha the key |
muftaxyo keys |
muftaxyada the keys |
| 4 | waraabe a hyena |
waraabaha the hyena |
waraabayaal the hyenas |
waarabayaalka the hyenas |
| 5 | hilib a meat |
hilibka the meat |
hilbo meats |
hilbaha the meats |
| 6 | áf a mouth |
afka the mouth |
afaf mouths |
afafka the mouths |
| 7 | Soomáali a Somali |
Soomáaliga the Somali |
Soomaalí Somalis |
Soomaaliyada the Somalis |
| 8 | ugax an egg |
agaxha the egg |
ugaxáan eggs |
agaxaada the eggs |
An ordered chaos :
Some of the legitimate questions you may ask yourself at this stage :
How can I know if a noun is masculine or feminine ?
Even if I know a noun is masculine, should it take the suffix -ka, -ga or -ha ?
Even if I know a noun is feminine, should it take the suffix -ta, -sha or -da ?
This is because we are taking the problem in reverse : Somali is not spoken according to a set of explicit grammatical rules, but according to implicit phonetic rules. As a matter of fact, phonetics is more relevent than gender.
In the absence of rules, the following may serve as a rough guide :
| Singular nouns ending in... | ||||
| /b/ | are generally masculine | and take -ka | Ex: hilib -> hilibka | = the meat |
| /d/ | are generally feminine | and take -da | Ex: bisad -> bisadda | = the cat |
| /e/ | are generally masculine | and take -(e)aha | Ex: aabe -> aabaha | = the father |
| waraabe -> waraabaha | = the hyena | |||
| /i/ | are generally masculine | and take -ga | Ex: dibi -> dibiga | = the ox |
| /g/ | are generally masculine | and take -(g)a | Ex: buug -> buuga | = the book |
| tuug -> tuuga | = the thief | |||
| /l/ | are generally feminine | and take -(l)sha | Ex: weyl -> weysha | = the calf |
| /r/ | are generally masculine | and take -ka | Ex: dameer -> dameerka | = the donkey |
| jiir -> jiirka | = the mouse | |||
| /o/ | are generally feminine | and take -(o)ada | Ex: hooyo -> hoyaada | = the mother |
| Plural nouns ending in... | ||||
| /oyin/ | are generally masculine | and take -ka | Ex: hoyooyin -> hoyooyinka | = the mothers |
| /yaal/ | are generally masculine | and take -ka | Ex: aabayaal -> aabayaalka | = the fathers |
Quiz :
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