Chapter 16 - The Noun Complement

 General Information: 

A noun complement is a noun that qualifies another noun, much like an adjective.

In English as in Somali, juxtaposition of the two nouns is most often the rule.

However, particles such as "of" or "from" that are sometimes needed in English are never used in Somali.

In Somali, the two nouns are simply juxtaposed, knowing that the second noun qualifies or complements the first, as would do the Somali adjective.

Note that the situation is reversed in English: the first noun qualifies the second as would do the English adjective!

There are, however, several cases where this method is not sufficient, especially when "of" implies possession of something by a person: this is referred to as the "genitive" case.

Examples:

• Caano gheel = camel milk

• Hilib lo' = beef meat

• Albaabka dugsiga = the school door

• Bartamaha magaalada = the town center

• Barayaásha dugsíga = school teachers.

A noun normally cannot be qualified by more than one other noun. However, when two nouns follow each other to qualify it, the word "ee" must be inserted between the two terms, similar to when two adjectives qualify a noun. See: Chapter 14.

Examples:

• Baquliga biyaha ee bisadaha = the water bowl of the cats

• Baquliga cuntada ee bisadaha = the food bowl of the cats

• Sariirta alwaax ee ilmaha = the wooden bed of the child

• Daahyada birta ee dukaanka = the store's iron curtain

• Kooxda kubadda cagta ee dalka = the football team of the country (noun + 3 nouns)

• Jidka kale ee bidixda = the next street to the left (noun + adj + noun)

• Isbitaalka weyn ee magaalada = the town's big hopital (noun + adj + noun)

 The genitive indicates possession: 

The possessor goes into the genitive, while the possessed thing is in the definite form. The name of the possessed thing comes first in the sentence.

In the sentence: "Ali's house," the possessor "Ali" goes into the genitive = Guriga Calí.

The genitive differs from the absolute only in tone: the accent falls on the last vowel of the absolute name! (Very difficult for an English speaker to hear!)

Examples:

• Búuggii Maxaméd = Mohamed's book. (the book + Mohamed)

• Guriga Calí = Ali's house. (the house + Ali)

• Qalinka macallínka = The professor's pen. (the pen + the professor)

• Qalinka ardéyga = The student's pen. (the pen + the student)

• Guriga macallínku waa míd weyn = The professor's house is big. (the house + the professor + is + big)

 Suffix "-eéd" for singular feminine nouns: 

Singular feminine nouns that do not end in -o in the absolute often (but not always!) take the suffixes -eéd or -yeéd.

Examples:

• Buul shimbireéd or Cuf shimbireéd = A bird's nest.

• Áf shimbireéd = The language of birds.

• Buúg dugsiyeéd = A school book.

• Sariír carruureéd = A cradle, a cot.

• Dhár naageéd = Woman's clothes, clothes for woman.

• Sanduúq waraaqeéd = A mailbox.

• Dadka Soomaaliyeéd = The Somali people.

 Suffix "-oód" for plural feminine nouns: 

Feminine nouns that end in -o in the absolute plural often (but not always!) take the suffix -oód.

Examples:

• Íl biyoód = A source, a spring.

• Xanuún ilkoód = Toothache.

• Laas Caanoód = "The well of milk" = name of a city in northern Somalia!

• Tani waa cunto bisadoód = Here is food for cats.

• Kani waa dhár naagoód = Here are women's clothes.

We will see another use of the suffix -oód with numbers in Chapter 31.

 Suffix "-aád" for animal names: 

Animal names as complements often take the suffix -aád. But -aád can also be suffixed to other nouns, and is used for ordinal numbers.

Examples:

• Hilib lo'aád = Beef.

• Subag lo'aád = Butter from a cow.

• Hárag lo'aád = Cowhide.

• Caano gheelaád (or caano gheél) = Camel milk.

• Caano riyaád = Goat milk.

  
   

• Qansoo roobaád = A rainbow. = bow of rain!

• Fasalka kowbaád = The first grade

• Blooga sideedaád = The eight quarter

 Usage: 

It is sometimes difficult to explain why one expression is preferably used over another. For example, in the case of: caano gheél or caano gheelaád (= camel milk)?

One might say, for instance: (1) Caano gheelaád ma la helaa? = Can one find camel milk?

But: (2) Caano gheél ma haysaa = Do you have camel milk? when addressing the milk seller!

It seems that question (1) is of a general nature, while question (2) is practical.

The same question arises in the usage between (1) dhár naageéd / dhár naagoód and (2) dhár naág (= women's clothing).

Expression (1) seems to refer to women's clothing in general, and expression (2) to the clothing of a particular woman.

At this stage, the distinction between (1) general/theoretical and (2) particular/practical to explain such usage remains a hypothesis!

However, there are instances where the choice between one expression or another introduces a clear semantic distinction:

For instance, (1) Áf shimbireéd = bird language.

Not to be confused with: (2) Áfka shimbiraha = bird beak!