AccueilChapter 7 - Type 2 Nouns


 Reminder: 

The singular indefinite noun is the basic form of the noun. No equivalent to the English article "a" or "an" is used before the noun in singular.

For example baabuur will translate as "vehicle" or "a vehicle"; inan will translate as "boy" or "a boy," etc.

The form of the indefinite noun does not distinguish between masculine and feminine. It will be the different suffixes added to the noun that will distinguish the grammatical gender.

In this chapter, we are studying in detail the formation of Type 2 nouns in the plural, and in the definite form singular and plural.


 Type 2 Indefinite Nouns - Singular and Plural 





Type 2 Nouns in singular in plural
Gender
 
Mostly masculine nouns Always feminine nouns
Form of the noun Often more than one syllable.
No nouns ending in -e
-o is added at the end of the noun
with phonetic changes

Tone

The singular ends in the HL order on the last 2 moras.
The last 2 moras can be 1 or 2 syllables; the rest of the singular is L. (H = high tone; L = low tone)



Phonetic Changes:

  • Nouns ending in -i in the singular take -yo in the plural :

    Example : tagsi = a taxi ; tagsiyo = taxis

  • Nouns ending in q, kh, c, x, h, ', j or s in the singular take -yo in the plural :

    Example : dariiq = a road ; darriqyo = roads

  • Nouns ending in b, d, dh, r, l or n double their final consonant before -o in the plural :

    Example : albaab = a door ; albaabbo = doors

  • Nouns ending in n often change their -n to -m which doubles in the plural (gemination of the final consonant):

    Example : inan = a boy ; inammo = boys



Plural of Type 2 Indefinite Nouns - Examples
Singular (fem.) Translation Plural (masc.) Translation
kursi a chair kursiyo chairs
laabis a cloth laabisyo clothes
barnaamij a program barnaamijyo programs
sac a cow saco, sacyo cows
madax a head madaxyo heads
baabuur a vehicule baabbuurro vehicules
gidaar a wall gidaarro walls
albaab a door albaabbo doors
dukaan a shop dukaammo shops
inan a boy inammo boys
joornal a newspaper joornarro / joornallo newspapers




 Type 2 Nouns - Formation of the Singular Definite Noun 


In Somali, the English article "the" is marked by suffixes added to the end of the indefinite noun.

This suffix begins with -k- for masculine nouns and -t- for feminine nouns.

The vowel following -k- and -t- changes depending on whether the noun is absolute or the subject of a verb: -ka, -ta = absolute, -ku, -tu = subject.


Phonetic Changes:

  • The k of the suffix disappears after the sounds q, kh, c, x, h, ' :

    Examples: madax = a head ; madax + -ka -> madaxa = the head
                      sac = a cow ; sac + -ka -> saxa = the cow.

  • The k of the suffix becomes g after a vowel:

    Example : kursi = a chair ; kursi = -ka -> kursiga = the chair



  Noun absolute Noun subject
Masculin suffix -ka -ku
Example with inan = boy inan-ka -> inanka = the boy inan-ku -> inanku = the boy




Singular of Type 2 Definite Nouns - Examples
Indefinite (masc.) Defini absolute Definite subject Translation
kursi kursiga kursigu the chair
laabis laabiska laabisku the cloth
barnamiij barnamiijka barnamiijku the program
sac saca sacu the cow
madax madaxa madaxu the head
baabuur baabuurka baabuurku the vehicule, the lorry
gidaar gidaarka gidaarku the wall
albaab albaabka albaabku the door
dukaan dukaanka dukaanku the shop
inan inanka inanku the boy
joornal joornalka joornalku the newspaper


 Type 2 Nouns - Formation of the plural definite noun 



Type 2 definite nouns form their plural by adding the suffixes -ada and -adu to the plural indefinite noun, after removing the final -o.


Type 2 Nouns Plural Definite - Examples
Indefinite pl. (fem.) Definite pl. absolute Definite pl. subject Translation
kursiyo kursiyada kursiyadu the chairs
laabisyo laabisyada laabisyadu the clothes
barnamiijyo barnamiijyada barnamiijyadu the programs
saco / sacyo sacaha / sacyaha sacahu / sacyahu the cows
madaxyo madaxyada madaxyadu the heads
baabuurro baabuurrada baabuurrahdu the vehicules, the lorries
gidaarro gidaarrada gidaarradu the walls
albaabbo albaabbada albaabbadu the doors
dukaammo dukaammada dukaammadu the shops
inammo inammada inammadu the boys
joornarro joornarrada joornarradu the newspapers


Some additional Type 2 Nouns:

  • Abti      (abtiyo, abtiga, abtiyada)   = maternal uncle
  • Bangi      (bangiyo, bangida, bangiyada)   = bank
  • Cashar      (casharro, casharka, casharrada)   = lesson
  • Durmaan      (durmaano, durmaanka, durmaanada)   = drum, tom-tom
  • Laybreeri      (laybreeriyo, laybreeriga, laybreeriyada)   = library
  • Muftax      (muftaxyo, muftaxha, muftaxyada)   = key
  • Nacas      (nacasyo, nacaska, nacasyada)   = fool, idiot
  • Roog      (roogyo, rooga, roogyada)   = rug, carpet
  • Safar      (safarro, safarka, safarrada)   = travel
  • Sombob      (sombobbo, sombobka, sombobbada)   = lung
  • Sannad      (sannaddo, sannadka, sannaddada)   = year
  • Suuq      (suuqyo, suuqya, suuqyada)   = market
  • Timir      (timirro, timirta, timirraha)   = date (the fruit !)
  • Waddan      (waddammo, waddanka, waddammada)   = country



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