 | Chapter 29 - Possessive Adjectives |
|---|
Generalities about Possessives:
Unlike English, the possessive adjective in Somali is not a detached word.
The possessive in Somali is a suffix attached to the end of the possessed object noun.
When using a possessive, the noun of the possessed object must be defined.
So the possessive suffix will always be preceded by the definite marker -KA-/-ga-/-ha- (masculine) or -TA-/-da-/-sha- (feminine).
The possessive suffix must agree in gender with the noun it is affixed to!
In the 3rd person singular, the suffix agrees in gender both with the possessor and with the noun of the possessed object.
The possessive suffix is placed after the definite marker:
Noun + singular or plural definite marker + possessive suffix.
Example with the noun Shandad = suitcase, handbag (Type 1 noun, feminine singular agreement, masculine plural agreement).
| Shandad | a suitcase, a bag | Shandado | suitcases, bags |
| Shandadda | the suitcase, the bag | Shandadaha | the suitcases, the bags |
| Shandaddayda | my suitcase, my bag | Shandadahayga | my suitcases, my bags |
| Shandaddaada | your suitcase, your bag | Shandadahaaga | your suitcases, your bags |
Example with the noun Kursi = chair (Type 2 noun, masculine singular agreement, feminine plural agreement).
| Kursi | a chair | Kursiyo | chairs |
| Kursiga | the chair | Kursiyada | the chairs |
| Kursigayga | my chair | Kursiyadayda | my chairs |
| Kursigaaga | your chair | Kursiyadaada | your chairs |
Detailed Review of Possessives:
Table of Possessive Roots:
| Person | Possessive root | Equivalent English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st pers. sing. | -ay | my |
| 2nd pers. sing. | -aa | your |
| 3rd pers. masc. sing. | -iis | his |
| 3rd pers. fem. sing. | -eed | her |
| 1st pers. plur. excl. | -aya | our |
| 1st pers. plur. incl. | -een | our |
| 2nd pers. plur. | -iin | your |
| 3rd pers. plur. | -ood | their |
Complete possessives agree with the defined noun and are also followed by a form of the definite article:
-KA / -GA / -HA for masculine, and -TA / -DA / -SHA for feminine.
Table of Possessive Suffixes:
| Person | Root | Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st pers. sing. | -ay | -kayga -gayga -hayga |
-tayda -shayda -dayda |
mon/ma/mes |
| 2nd pers. sing. | -aa | -kaaga -gaaga -haaga |
-taada -shaada -daada |
ton/ta/tes |
| 3rd pers. masc. sing. | -iis | -kiisa -giisa -hiisa |
-tiisa -shiisa -diisa |
son/sa/ses |
| 3rd pers. fem. sing. | -eed | -keeda -geeda -heeda |
-teeda -sheeda -deeda |
son/sa/ses |
| 1st pers. plur. excl. | -aya | -kayaga -gayaga -hayaga |
-tayaga -shayaga -dayaga |
notre/nos |
| 1st pers. plur. incl. | -een | -keenna -geenna -heenna |
-teenna -sheenna -deenna |
notre/nos |
| 2nd pers. plur. | -iin | -kiinna -giinna -hiinna |
-tiinna -shiinna -diinna |
votre/vos |
| 3rd pers. plur. | -ood | -kooda -gooda -hooda |
-tooda -shooda -dooda |
leur/leurs |
Examples :
| Possessor : 1st Person Singular | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankayga | = my country | dawooyinkayga | = my medicines |
| -ga | gurigayga | = my house | ||
| -ha | furahayga | = my key | guriyahayga | = my houses |
| -ta | kabtayda | = my shoe | ||
| -sha | hashayda | = my she-camel | furayashayda | = my keys |
| -da | dawoodayda | = my medicine | furashyodayda | = my mattresses |
| Possessor : 2nd Person Singular | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankaaga | = your country | dawooyinkaaga | = your medicines |
| -ga | gurigaaga | = your house | ||
| -ha | furahaaga | = your key | guriyahaaga | = your houses |
| -ta | kabtaada | = your shoe | ||
| -sha | hashaada | = your she-camel | furayashaada | = your keys |
| -da | dawoodaada | = your medicine | furashyodaada | = your mattresses |
| Possessor : 3rd Person Singular Masculine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankiisa | = his country | dawooyinkiisa | = his medicines |
| -ga | gurigiisa | = his house | ||
| -ha | furahiisa | = his key | guriyahiisa | = his houses |
| -ta | kabtiisa | = his shoe | ||
| -sha | hashiisa | = his she-camel | furayashiisa | = his keys |
| -da | dawoodiisa | = his medicine | furashyodiisa | = his mattresses |
| Possessor : 3rd Person Singular Feminine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankeeda | = her country | dawooyinkeeda | = her medicines |
| -ga | gurigeeda | = her house | ||
| -ha | furaheeda | = her key | guriyaheeda | = her houses |
| -ta | kabteeda | = her shoe | ||
| -sha | hasheeda | = her she-camel | furayasheeda | = her keys |
| -da | dawoodeeda | = her medicine | furashyodeeda | = her mattresses |
| Possessor : 1st Person Plural Exclusive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankayaga | = our country | dawooyinkayaga | = our medicines |
| -ga | gurigayaga | = our house | ||
| -ha | furahayaga | = our key | guriyahayaga | = our houses |
| -ta | kabtayaga | = our shoe | ||
| -sha | hashayaga | = our she-camel | furayashayaga | = our keys |
| -da | dawoodayaga | = our medicine | furashyodayaga | = our mattresses |
| Possessor : 1st Person Plural Inclusive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankeena | = our country | dawooyinkeena | = our medicines |
| -ga | gurigeena | = our house | ||
| -ha | furaheena | = our key | guriyaheena | = our houses |
| -ta | kabteena | = our shoe | ||
| -sha | hasheena | = our she-camel | furayasheena | = our keys |
| -da | dawoodeena | = our medicine | furashyodeena | = our mattresses |
| Possessor : 2nd Person Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankiinna | = your country | dawooyinkiinna | = my medicines |
| -ga | gurigiinna | = your house | ||
| -ha | furahiinna | = your key | guriyahiinna | = your houses |
| -ta | kabtiinna | = your shoe | ||
| -sha | hashiinna | = your she-camel | furayashiinna | = my keys |
| -da | dawoodiinna | = your medicine | furashyodiinna | = your mattresses |
| Possessor : 3rd Person Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | English | Noun plur. | English |
| -ka | waddankooda | = their country | dawooyinkooda | = their medicines |
| -ga | gurigooda | = their house | ||
| -ha | furahooda | = their key | guriyahooda | = their houses |
| -ta | kabtooda | = their shoe | ||
| -sha | hashooda | = their she-camel | furayashooda | = their keys |
| -da | dawoodooda | = their medicine | furashyodooda | = their mattresses |
Further examples and remarks :
| Magacaa ? | [What's] your name ? | Magacaygu waa X. | My name is X. (-u is the subject marker) |
| Magaciis ? | [What's] his name ? | Magaciisu waa X. | His name is X. |
| Magaceed ? | [What's] her name ? | Magaceedu waa X. | Her name is X. |
Cases of inalienable possession may sometimes take gender agreement, especially if the person is present when being spoken of : ninkeed or ninkeeda (= her husband), abbeed or abbeeda (= her father), etc..
Another instance of inalienable possession with gender agreement : people say geeleyga (= my herds of camels) instead of #geelehayga.
Possessive Pronouns :
As in English, there are also possessive pronouns in Somali.
The possessive pronouns are stand-alone words.
They are formed on the possessive prefixes and begin with ka- in the masculine, ta- in the feminine and kuw- in the plural (for both masculine and feminine).
Table of possessive pronouns :
| Person | Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st pers. sing. | kayga | tayda | kuwayga | mine |
| 2nd pers. sing. | kaaga | taada | kuwaaga | yours |
| 3rd pers. sing. masc. | kiisa | tiisa | kuwiisa | his |
| 3rd pers. sing. fem. | keeda | teeda | kuweeda | hers |
| 1st pers. plur. excl. | kayaga | tayaga | kawayaga | ours |
| 1st pers. plur. incl. | keena | teena | kuweena | ours |
| 2nd pers. plur. | kiinna | tiinna | kuwiinna | yours |
| 3rd pers. plur. | kooda | tooda | kuwooda | theirs |
| Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents |
|---|