Page:Fsi-AmharicBasicCourse-Volume1-StudentText.pdf/72

RV 53 (Rh) Amharic has a great number of such constructions, i.e. postpositions used in combination with certain prepositions. These constructions will be discussed in later units.

Note 5.7 Noun: Suffixes /-ıyye/ and /-ıyyo/

The words /səw/ 'man, person' and /set/ 'female, woman' have alternative forms /səwıyye/ 'a man' and /setıyyo/ 'a woman'. Thus: /and səw məTTa/ or /and səwıyye məTTa/ both mean 'a man came'; /and set məTTac/ or /and setıyyo məTTac/ 'a woman came'. When addressed directly to a person /səwíyye/ means something like 'hey you!' and /setıyyo/ 'hey lady!'

The word /səw/ with the definite suffix is /səwıyyew/ and /set/ is /setıyyowa/.

Note 5.7.1 Noun: Definite Suffixes /-ıyyew/ and /ıyyewa/.

Parallel to the words /səw/ and /set/ the nouns of relationship have regular definite suffixes /-ıyyew/ with the masculine nouns and /-ıyyewa/ with the feminine nouns (with some speakers these suffixes may be /-ıyyow/ and /-ıyyowa/). Examples:

These nouns may also have forms in /-ıyye/ (see Note 5.7). They have a connotation of endearment or tender familiarity rather than that of indefiniteness, e.g. /wəndımmıyye/ 'my dearest brother', /ıhıtıyye/ ' my dearest sister', 'sis', etc.

The suffix /-ıyye/ may sometimes be affixes even to adjectives, e/g/ /Konjo/ 'pretty', /Konjıyye nat/ 'she is cute'.

Note 5.8 Numerals: ordinals

The ordinals are formed from the cardinals by the addition of the suffix /-əñña/ after consonants, /-ñña/ after vowels.

Examples: