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Kola: Difference between revisions
→Noun classes
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<small><sup>5</sup></small> (w/ï) = -w- added before vowels | <small><sup>5</sup></small> (w/ï) = -w- added before vowels | ||
<small><sup> | <small><sup>6</sup></small> Inanimate nouns (especially those whose plural form is identical to their singular) can form an alternative plural by adding the class 6 prefix ''mä-'' to either their singular or plural. Similarly, animate nouns (especially those not already in class 1) can add the class 2 prefix ''wä-''. | ||
:e.g. class 3 ምጢ ''mïthí'' "tree" (stem: ''-thí'') → class 4 ምጢ ''mïthí'' or class 6 መምጢ ''mämthí'' "trees" | :e.g. class 3 ምጢ ''mïthí'' "tree" (stem: ''-thí'') → class 4 ምጢ ''mïthí'' or class 6 መምጢ ''mämthí'' "trees" | ||
::class 5 ዚጨ ''zíchä'' "eye" (stem: ''-íchä'') → class 6 ሜጨ ''méchä'' or መሜጨ ''mäméchä'' / መዚጨ ''mäzíchä'' "eyes" | ::class 5 ዚጨ ''zíchä'' "eye" (stem: ''-íchä'') → class 6 ሜጨ ''méchä'' or መሜጨ ''mäméchä'' / መዚጨ ''mäzíchä'' "eyes" | ||
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Younger speakers tend to add the prefixes to the noun's singular form, while older speakers add them to the plural forms or don't add them at all. In this article, the traditional plurals are used. | Younger speakers tend to add the prefixes to the noun's singular form, while older speakers add them to the plural forms or don't add them at all. In this article, the traditional plurals are used. | ||
<small><sup> | <small><sup>7</sup></small> Diminutive and augmentative prefixes may be added before the prefix of the base noun or directly to the stem. Locative prefixes are always added to the beginning of the noun phrase before any other prefixes and/or modifiers. | ||
:e.g. ''gä-'' + ''zíchä'' → ጌጨ ''géchä'' or ገዚጨ ''gäzíchä'' "little eye" | :e.g. ''gä-'' + ''zíchä'' → ጌጨ ''géchä'' or ገዚጨ ''gäzíchä'' "little eye" | ||
::''bä-'' + ''zíchä'' → በዚጨ ''bäzíchä'' (NOT *ቤጨ ''béchä'') "in (an) eye" | ::''bä-'' + ''zíchä'' → በዚጨ ''bäzíchä'' (NOT *ቤጨ ''béchä'') "in (an) eye" | ||