Language/Abkhazian/Grammar/Adjectives
Hi Abkhazian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be exploring Adjectives in Abkhazian. Adjectives are words used to describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They give more information about the noun or pronoun being referred to.
What are Adjectives in Abkhazian?
In Abkhazian, Adjectives function just like in English. They modify nouns or pronouns. They can come before or after the noun or pronoun being modified, and their endings change based on the case of the noun or pronoun.
For example, the adjective “балуашьхьа” (baluašč°a) meaning “beautiful” changes in various cases.
- Ашшәа балуашьхьа - Ashš°a baluašč°a (beautiful girl)
- Абар балуашьхьа - Abar baluašč°a (beautiful apple)
Formation of Adjectives
In Abkhazian, almost all adjectives are formed by adding the suffix х°а /-χ°a/ to the root word. We will discuss adjectives that do not follow this rule later.
For example, to form the adjective “tall” (высокий/vysokij), we add the suffix х°а to the root word высок/ vysok. This gives us “высокәа” (vysok°a) the Abkhazian word for “tall”.
Here are some more examples:
| Abkhazian | Pronunciation | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| алырх°а | əlɨrχ-a | red |
| абырҳ°а | aˈbɨrˤχ-a | white |
| анх°а | anχ-a | new |
Placement of Adjectives
In Abkhazian, Adjectives can come before or after the noun or pronoun being modified. When adjectives come before the noun, they come in their basic form without any case markers. When adjectives come after the noun, they take on the appropriate case marker depending on the noun they modify.
For example:
- арааҩ (arā°n) - road, шәәран арааҩ (š°°ran arā°n) - a long road (literally “road long”)
- ҧсау амтәынҵа (psa°u amt°ənʷa) - the blue dress (literally “dress blue-the”)
Comparison of Adjectives
In Abkhazian, Adjectives have 3 degrees of comparison; positive, comparative, and superlative.
Positive
The positive degree is the base form of the adjective that gives no comparison. We have already used adjectives in their positive degree in the previous examples.
Comparative
To form the comparative degree, Abkhazian adds the suffix ҷәын/ c°ən/, meaning “more”. The comparative degree compares two nouns or pronouns.
For example:
- Ашшәа гушсырца кыббыҷәын алырх°а (Ashš°a gušsyrca kyp°byc°ən əlɨrχ-a) - The girl’s dress is more red than the boy’s.
Superlative
The superlative degree is used when comparing one noun or pronoun to all others in a given group. In English, we use the -est/-st suffix to form the superlative degree. In Abkhazian, the superlative degree is formed by adding the suffix ҧс /-ps/.
For example:
- Соҧшәа рҭәпзәақәа нәыҕдоитера пә ләы тә бзед ушәтыҧс анх°а (So°pš°a rҭ°əpz°aq°a n°əʕdojtera p°°əl°abz°ed uš°ət°ɨ-ps anχ-a) - Mount Ritsa is the highest mountain in Abkhazia (literally “Mountain Ritsa highest is”)
Exceptions
There are some adjectives in Abkhazian that do not follow the general rule of adding the suffix х°а /-χ°a/ to the root word to form adjectives. These adjectives may be formed from a combination of root words, with one of the roots being an adjectival indicator word. Some examples include:
| Abkhazian | Pronunciation | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| агәырләа | aɣ°ərɬ°a | busy (literally “work-doing”) |
| иазәоқәа | jaz°əoq°a | honest (literally “mind-clear”) |
Dialogue
To practice using adjectives in context, here’s a dialogue between two friends:
- Person 1: Сәыд абрыст анх°а. (S°əjd abryst anχ-a) (Said is a new student.)
- Person 2: Акәыр иазәоқәа. Со рҭәҵҵаҩ аҟныщынҵа щытәхьлар гурба рыхьӡ. (Ak°əj°r jaz°əoq°a. So rҭ°əc°°a°n° ar’nyš°ənʷa š°ət°°χ°l°ar gurba ryh°əʒ.) (Finally an honest student. Those noisy neighbors always make it hard to concentrate.)
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully learned about adjectives in Abkhazian. Remember to practice using adjectives in context as much as possible. To improve your Abkhazian find native speakers and ask them any questions. You can also refer to the Grammar section of the Polyglot Club website for more learning resources.
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