Language/Abkhazian/Grammar/Plurals

Abkhazian Grammar - Plurals

Hi Abkhazian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be focusing on plurals in Abkhazian.

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Questions, Abkhazian Grammar → Abkhazian Verbs → Verbs to Be and Have ..., Conditional Mood & Comparative and Superlative Adverbs in Abkhazian.

Plural Marker

In Abkhazian, the plural is formed by adding the suffix "-ара" ("-ara") to the singular noun. The vowel "-а" ("-a") will also be added if the last character of the noun ends with a consonant other than "-р" ("-r").

For example:

Abkhazian	Pronunciation	English
аҧсуа (aṗsua)	/a.'psu.a/	language (singular)
аҧсуара (aṗsuara)	/a.'psu.a.'ra/	languages (plural)
ауа (awa)	/a.'wa/	water (singular)
ауара (awara)	/a.'wa.'ra/	waters (plural)

Notice the additional "-а" ("-a") in "ауара" ("awara").

Plurals of Loan Words

Most nouns of foreign origin take the plural marker without any changes. However, there are some exceptions.

When a loan word ends with a consonant, the plural marker can be added directly to the end of the word, but sometimes adding an extra vowel "-ы" ("-ə") is necessary to make it easier to pronounce.

For example:

Abkhazian	Pronunciation	English
футбол (futbol)	/'fut.bol/	football (singular)
футболара (futbolarə)	/'fut.bol.'a.ra/	footballs (plural)
кино (kino)	/'ki.no/	movie (singular)
киноыра (kinoəra)	/'ki.no.'ə.ra/	movies (plural)

Notice the additional vowel "-ы" ("-ə") in "киноыра" ("kinoəra").

Plural of Compound Nouns

In compound nouns, only the last word takes the plural marker "-ара" ("-ara").

For example:

Abkhazian	Pronunciation	English
рыжьоу апста (ryžʼou apsta)	/ˈʁəʐ.ʒəu ˈap.sta/	red apple (singular)
рыжьоу апстара (ryžʼou apstara)	/ˈʁəʐ.ʒəu ˈap.sta.ˌra/	red apples (plural)

Dialogue

Person 1: аҩрыс (āqrys) (cat) Person 2: аҩрысара (āqrysa̲ra) (cats)

Person 1: хьанҳы (ḥ̌anhy) (book) Person 2: хьанҳыара (ḥ̌anhya̲ra) (books)

Person 1: кафе (kafe) (coffee shop) Person 2: кафеара (kafea̲ra) (coffee shops)

Person 1: театр (teatr) (theater) Person 2: театрара (teatra̲ra) (theaters)

Culture and Fun Facts

- Abkhazians are proud of their language and culture, and actively promote it through festivals and cultural events.

- The Abkhazian language is written with the Cyrillic script. However, before the adoption of Cyrillic in the 20th century, it was written with the Georgian script.

- Abkhazian cuisine is known for its rich and hearty dishes, often made with locally-sourced ingredients such as lamb, beans, and potatoes. One popular dish is плов (plov), a pilaf-style dish made with rice, meat, and vegetables.

Practice with Native Speakers

To improve your Abkhazian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Abkhaz Language
• Abkhazia
• Cyrillic Script

Other Lessons

• Future Tense
• Negation
• Adjectives
• How to Use Have
• Nouns
• Give your Opinion
• Questions
• How to Use Be
• Conditional Mood

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