As in
other Semitic languages, possession in Ge’ez is typically indicated through a
set of pronominal suffixes added directly on to the noun:
12.1:
Here are all the possessive pronominal suffixes. Some of them have accusative
forms which are indicated in the parenthesis: <X>
|
ቤትየ
|
betya
|
my house
|
ቤትነ
<ቤተነ>
|
betna
<betana>
|
our house
|
|
|
ቤትከ
<ቤተከ>
|
betka
<betaka>
|
your (m.) house
|
ቤትክሙ
<ቤተክሙ>
|
betkəmu
<betakəmu>
|
your (m. pl.) house
|
|
|
ቤትኪ
<ቤተኪ>
|
betki
<betaki>
|
your (f.) house
|
ቤትክን
<ቤተክን>
|
betkən
<betakən>
|
your (f. pl.) house
|
|
|
ቤቱ
<ቤቶ>
|
Betu
<beto>
|
his house
|
ቤቶሙ
|
betomu
|
their (m.) house
|
|
|
ቤታ
|
betā
|
her house
|
ቤቶን
|
beton
|
their (f.) house
|
12.2:
Nouns that end in a vowel take a helping consonant -h- in all the 3rd person possessions. For
instance, with the word “ምንዳቤ” (məndābe = anguish, suffering, affliction.) There are no
distinct accusative forms for nouns that end in vowels:
|
ምንዳቤሁ
|
məndābehu
|
His anguish
|
ምንዳቤሆሙ
|
məndābehomu
|
Their (m.) anguish
|
|
|
ምንዳቤሃ
|
məndābeha
|
Her anguish
|
ምንዳቤሆን
|
məndābehon
|
Their (f.) anguish
|
12.3: The
only exceptions are nouns that end in the vowel –i. In 2nd person possessions, the
accusative form replaces the -i with an -e:
|
ዝንቱ፡ጸሓፊከ፡ውእቱ።
|
Zəntu şaḥāfika wə’ətu
|
This is your scribe.
|
à
|
ረከብኩ፡ጸሓፌከ።
|
rakabku şaḥāfeka
|
I found your
scribe.
|
12.4: All plurals, both regular and broken, take the vowel –i(h)- before for all pronomial suffixes above (12.1). They have no distinct accusative
forms:
|
ሊቃኒየ
|
liqāniya
|
my elders
|
ሊቃኒነ
|
liqānina
|
our elders
|
|
|
ነቢያቲከ
|
nabiyātika
|
your (m.) prophets
|
ነቢያቲክሙ
|
nabiyātikəmu
|
your (m. pl.) prophets
|
|
|
አህጉሪሃ
|
ahgurihā
|
her cities
|
አህጉሪሆን
|
ahgurihon
|
their (f. pl.) cities
|
12.5:
Most biconsonantal nouns take the vowel –u(h)- before the pronominal suffixes
above (12.1). In the accusative form, they vowel changes to –a(h)-.
|
አቡየ፡በቤትየ፡ውእቱ።
|
abuya babetya wə’ətu
|
My father is in my house.
|
à
|
ረእየኩ፡አባየ።
|
ra'yaku abaya
|
I saw my father.
|
|
በጽሐ፡እኁሁ።
|
başḥa əxuhu
|
His brother arrived.
|
à
|
መርሐ፡እኁየ፡እኋሁ።
|
marḥa əxuye əxʷahu
|
My brother led his brother.
|
12.6: The
preposition “la-” has a distinct set of pronominal suffixes:
|
ሎቱ
|
lotu
|
to him
|
ሎሙ
|
lomu
|
to them (m.)
|
|
ላቲ
|
lāti
|
to her
|
ሎን
|
lon
|
to them (f.)
|
|
ለከ
|
laka
|
to you (m.)
|
ለክሙ
|
lakəmu
|
to you all (m.)
|
|
ለኪ
|
laki
|
to you (f.)
|
ለክን
|
lakən
|
to you all (f.)
|
|
ሊተ
|
lita
|
to me
|
ለነ
|
lana
|
to us (m.)
|