HomeChapter 12 - Type 7 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, aábbe will be translated as "father" or "a father"; aabbayaal will be translated as "fathers", etc.

In this chapter, we study in detail the formation of Type 7 nouns in the plural and in the definite form singular and plural.


 Indefinite Type 7 Nouns - Singular and Plural 





Type 7 Noun Singular Plural
Gender
 
Nouns always masculine Nouns always feminine
Noun Form Absolute noun always ending in -e. In the plural, the final -e changes to -a and -yaal is added.

Tone

The singular has the penultimate syllable H.



Plural of Indefinite Type 7 Nouns - Examples
Singular (masc.) Translation Plural (fem.) Translation
ábbe a father aabbayaal fathers
agaasíme a director agaasimayaal directors
báre a teacher, professor barayaal teachers
danjíre an ambassador danjirayaal ambassadors
jáalle a comrade jaallayaal comrades
madaxwéyne a president madaxweynayaal presidents
waraabe a hyena waraabayaal hyenas
túke a crow, raven tukayaal crows, ravens
cambe a mango cambayaal mangoes
fúre a key furayaal keys


Special Case:

  • Óday = an old man ; odayaal = old men; does not end in -e in the singular indefinite form!



 Type 7 Nouns - Formation of Definite Singular and Plural Nouns


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

  • In the singular, the feminine suffix -ha is added after the final -e of the absolute noun, which changes to -a.

    Examples: Aabbe (= father): Aabbe + -ha -> Aabbaha (= the father)
                       Fure (= key): fure + -ha -> furaha = the key.

  • In the plural, the masculine suffix -ka is added to the indefinite plural noun.
    However, when in contact with the final -l of the plural, -l and -ka merge into -sha!

    Examples: Aabbe (= fathers): Aabbayaal + -ka -> aabbayaasha = fathers.
                       Furayaal (= keys): furayaal + -ka -> furayaasha = keys.



Definite Singular and Plural of Type 7 Nouns - Examples
Absolute Definite Singular Definite Plural Translation
Aabbe aabbaha aabbayaasha the father, the fathers
agaasime agaasimaha agaasimayaasha the director(s)
bare baraha barayaasha the professor(s)
danjire danjiraha danjirayaasha the ambassador(s)
jaalle jaallaha jaallayaasha the comrade(s)
madaxweyne madaxweynaha madaxweynayaasha the president(s)
waraabe waraabaha waraabayaasha the hyena(s)
tuke tukaha tukayaasha the crow(s)
cambe cambaha cambayaasha the mango(s)
fure furaha furayaasha the key(s)


Some additional Type 7 nouns:

  • Bartame      (bartamayaal, bartamaha, bartamayaasha) = center
  • Buste      (bustayaal, bustaha, bustayaasha) = cover
  • Dhegayare      (dhegayarayaal, dhegayaraha, dhegayarayaasha) = clove
  • Dukaanle      (dukaanlayaal, dukaanlaha, dukaanlayaasha) = merchant, shopkeeper
  • Gole      (golayaal, golaha, golayaasha) = committee
  • Masalle      (masallayaal, masallaha, masallayaasha) = prayer mat
  • Xoghaye      (xoghayaal, xoghaha, xoghayaasha) = state secretary



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