 | Chapter 28 - The Prepositions |
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Inventory on the prepositions :
- Prepositions do not exist as such in the Somali language.
- Nevertheless, there are two equivalents of "prepositions" as we understand them in English :
- Locative and relational preverbal particles
- Possessive phrases
The locative and relational preverbal particles :
Somali preverbal locative and relational particles often play a role similar to that of English "prepositions".
There are 4 locative and 4 relational preverbal particles in Somali.
Table locative and relational preverbal particles
| Locative particles | Relationship particles | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ú | to, for | sóo | in the direction of the speaker |
| kú | in, into, on, at, with, by means of | síi | away from the speaker |
| ká | from, away from, out of | wada | together, towards each other (with plural subjects/objects) |
| lá | in company with | kala | apart, away from each other, separately |
Examples :
| makhsínkíi | ayùu | ká | baxay |
| makhsín-kíi | ayàa-uu | ká | baxay |
| [room-the | FOCUS-he | from | went] |
| = He went out of the room | |||
| kú | ríd | shandádda |
| [into | put | suitcase-the] |
| = Put it into the suitcase | ||
| albabka | soo | xidh ! |
| [door-the | towards | close] |
| = Close the door ! | ||
Possessive phrases :
Other preposition-like functions are fulfilled by verbs or nouns.
One construction particularly worthy of note involves locative or temporal nouns with a possessive, effectively used as postpositions :
Table of possessive phrases or "Postpositions"
| Root noun | English | Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ag | vicinity | agtiisa | agteeda | near |
| dabo | back | dabadiisa | dabadeeda | behind after (space or time) |
| dar | reason | dartiisa | darteeda | because of |
| debed | exterior | debeddiisa | debeddeeda | outside |
| dhex | center | dhexdiisa | dhexdeeda | in the middle of |
| dhex | center | dhexdooda | between, in the middle (always plural) |
|
| dhinac | besides, next to | dhinaciisa | dhinaceeda | next to it |
| dul | (top) surface | dushiisa | dusheeda | on top of |
| gees | side | geestiisa | geesteeda | beside |
| gudo | interior | gudihiisa | gudeheeda | inside within (space or time) |
| hoos | bottom | hoostiisa | hoosteeda | beneath under |
| hor | front | hortiisa | horteeda | in front of before (space or time) |
Examples :
| miiska agtiisa | = near the table | [the table his vicinity] |
| dekedda agteeda | = near the harbour | [the harbour her vicinity] |
| aqalka dabadiisa | = behind the house | [the house his behind] |
| kulaylka dartiisa | = because of the heat | [the heat his reason] |
| magalada debeddeeda | = outside the town | [the town her exterior] |
| jid dhexdiisa | = in the middle of a road | [a road his center] |
| awrta dhexdooda | = in the middle of the camels | [the camels their center] |
| miiska dushiisa | = on top of the table | [the table his surface] |
| albabka geestiisa | = beside the door | [the door his side] |
| daarta gudeheeda | = inside the building | [the building her interior] |
| markabka gudihiisa | = inside the ship | [the ship his interior] |
| sariirta hoosteeda | = under the bed | [the bed her bottom] |
| habeennimada horteeda | = before nightfall | [the night her front] |
Other Prepositions:
| agagaarka | around |
| bannaanka, dibada | outside |
| baxay | outside |
| dhawaan | recently |
| dhow | near |
| fog | far |
| fogaan | away |
| gadaal | behind |
| gadaasheeda | behind her |
| galay | inside |
| gudaha | inside |
| gadaashiisa | behind him |
| inkastoo | despite |
| ka baxsan | outside, beyond |
| ka hor | before |
| ka mid ha | among |
| ka soo horjeeda | in front of |
| kor | up |
| korka | on |
| korkiisa | above |
| ku jiran | including |
| ku sabsaan | concerning |
| ka yar | smaller than, less |
| korka | on |
| laakin | but |
| la'aanteed, ma laha | without |
| la soo dhaafay | past |
| la sugayo | while waiting |
| laga jaray | less |
| lagu daray | more, additional |
| leh | with |
| marka laga reebo | except, excepted |
| sare | above |
| sida | like |
| tirinta | counting |
| tixgelin | considering |
| wareeg | around, tour |
| weheliso | along |
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