Language/Abkhazian/Grammar/Adjectival-Agreement-in-Abkhazian
As we continue our journey of learning Abkhazian, we will now delve into adjectival agreement in Abkhazian. Adjectives in Abkhazian not only describe nouns, but they must also agree with the noun they modify in gender, number and case. Understanding adjectival agreement is essential for gaining proficiency in the Abkhazian language.
Adjectival Agreement
In Abkhazian language, an adjective usually comes after the noun it modifies. The adjective must agree with the noun it modifies.
|- !Gender !Singular !Plural |- |Animate |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Add -а after the last consonant of the word. If the stressed syllable is not the last, -а replaces the last vowel of the word. |- |Inanimate |Add -ы after the last consonant of the word. If the stressed syllable is not the last, -ы replaces the last vowel of the word. |Add -тә after the last consonant of the word. If the stressed syllable is not the last, -тә replaces the last vowel of the word. |}
Example:
Abkhazian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
аҳәырра | aharra | beautiful (masculine, animate) |
аҳәыррым | aharrym | beautiful (masculine, inanimate, singular) |
аҳәыррытә | aharrytə | beautiful (masculine, inanimate, plural) |
аҩәәзә | aԥəԥə | beautiful (feminine, animate) |
аҩәгә | aԥəgə | beautiful (feminine, inanimate) |
Noun Case Endings and Adjectival Agreement
Nouns in Abkhazian change their endings to reflect their case. There are six cases in Abkhazian: nominative, ergative, genitive, dative, ablative, and adverbial. The adjectives must also agree with the noun in its case.
Here are example cases and adjective agreement:
Nominative case:
Example:
Abkhazian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
ҕьанқәын | ğankəın | beautiful girl |
As you can see, the adjective ҳәырра (beautiful) agrees with the feminine, singular noun ҕьанқәын (girl) in the nominative case.
Genitive case:
Example:
Abkhazian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
аблашәыш | ablaşəış | beautiful dress |
Here, the adjective аҳәыррым (beautiful) agrees with the feminine, singular noun абла (dress) in the genitive case.
Conclusion
Now that you understand adjectival agreement in Abkhazian, you are one step closer to mastering this beautiful language. Keep in mind that it takes time and patience to become fluent in Abkhazian, and practice makes perfect. Make sure to use these tips and techniques when speaking and writing in Abkhazian, and you will be well on your way to proficiency. Good luck!
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