HomeChapter 9 - Type 4 Nouns


 Reminder: 

The indefinite singular noun is the basic form of the noun. No equivalent English article like "a" or "an" is placed before the noun.

Thus, buug will translate as "book" or "a book"; nin will translate as "man" or "a man," etc.

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

In this chapter, we study in detail the formation of Type 4 nouns in the plural and in the definite form, singular and plural.


 Indefinite Type 4 Nouns - Singular and Plural 





Type 4 Noun Singular Plural
Gender
 
Nouns always masculine Nouns always masculine
Noun form One syllable ending with a consonant. Add -a + duplication of the last consonant

Tone

The singular (absolute) follows the HL pattern if the syllable is long; H otherwise.



Phonetic Changes:

  • A noun changes its final consonant n to m before -a:

    nin = a man; niman = men.


Plural of Type 4 Indefinite Nouns - Examples
Singular (fem.) Translation Plural (masc.) Translation
miis a table miisas tables
nin a man niman men
qoys a family qoysas families
af a mouth hafaf mouths
koob a cup koobab cups
buug a book buugag books
san a nose sanan noses
waan a ram waanan rams
tuug a thief tuugag thieves
dab a fire, an arson dabab fires, arsons
wiil a boy wiilal boys




 Type 4 Nouns - Formation of Definite Singular Noun


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

This suffix starts with -k- for masculine nouns.

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


  Absolute Noun Subject Noun
Masculine Suffix -ka -ku
Example with koob = cup koob-ka -> koobka = the cup koob-ku -> koobku = the cup


Phonetic Changes:

  • The k of the masculine suffix disappears after the g sound:

    Examples: buug = a book; buug + -ka -> buuga = the book.



Singular of Definite Type 4 Nouns - Examples
Indefinite (masc.) Absolute Definite Subject Definite Translation
miis miiska miisku the table
nin ninka ninku the man
qoys qoyska qoysku the family
af afka afku the mouth, the language
koob koobka koobku the cup
buug buuga buugu the book
san sanka sanku the nose
waan waanka waanku the ram
tuug tuuga tuugu the thief
dab dabka dabku the fire, the arson
wiil wiilka wiilku the boy


 Type 4 Nouns - Plural Definite Noun Formation 


Type 4 definite nouns form their plural by adding the masculine suffixes -ka and -ku to the indefinite plural noun.


Plural of Type 4 Definite Nouns - Examples
Indefinite pl. (fem.) Definite pl. absolute Definite pl. subject Translation
miisas miisaska miisasku the tables
niman nimanka nimanku the men
qoysas qoysaska qoysasku the families
afaf afafka afafku the mouths, the languages
koobab koobabka koobabku the cups
buugag buugaga buugagu the books
sanan sananka sananku the noses
waanan waananka wanaanku the rams
tuugag tuugagka tuugagku the thieves
dabab dababka dababku the fires, the conflagrations
wiilal wiilasha wiilashu the boys


Some additional Type 4 nouns:

  • Dhul (dhulal, dhulka, dhulalka) = land, earth, soil
  • Geel (geelel, geelka, geelelka) = herd of camels
  • Jeeb (jeebaba, jeebka, jeebabka) = pocket
  • Jiir (jiirar, jiirka, jiirarka) = mouse
  • Mas (masas, maska, masaska) = snake
  • Muus (muusas, muuska, muusaska) = banana
  • Neef (neefaf, neefka, neefafka) = animal (cattle)
  • Roob (roobab, roobka, roobabka) = rain
  • War (warar, warka, wararka) = news
  • Xoog (xoogag, xooga, xoogaga) = strength



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