- Unlike in English, the possessive in Somali is not a detached word.
- The somali possessive is always attached as a suffix to the end of a noun.
- When a possessive is used, the noun is necessarily definite.
- The possessive suffix will always be preceeded by a definite marker /-ka-/-ga-/-ha- (masc.) or /-ta-/-sha-/-da- (fem.).
- The possessive suffix must also agree in gender with the noun it is affixed to !
- In the 3rd person singular the possessive suffix agrees in gender with both the possessor and the noun of the possessed.
The possessive suffix is placed after the definite marking :
Noun (+ plural marking) + definite marking + possessive suffix.
| Shandad | suitcase | Shandado | suitcases |
| Shandadda | the suitcase | Shandadaha | the suitcases |
| Shandaddayda | my suitcase | Shandadahayga | my suitcases |
| Shandaddaada | your suitcase | Shandadahaaga | your suitcases |
Detailed review of the possessives :
Table of possessive roots :
| Person | possessive root | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1st pers. sing. | -ay | my |
| 2nd pers. sing. | -aa | your |
| 3rd pers. sing. masc. | -iis | his |
| 3rd pers. sing. fem. | -eed | her |
| 1st pers. plur. excl. | -aya | our |
| 1st pers. plur. incl. | -een | our |
| 2nd pers. plur. | -iin | your |
| 3rd pers. plur. | -ood | their |
In cases of inalienable possession, the possessive root is all that is needed : ninkeed (= her husband), abbahaa (= your father), etc..
However, complete possessives agree with the noun and must be followed by a form of the definite articles -ka (masc.) and -ta (fem.).
Table of possessive suffixes :
| Person | root | Masculine | Feminine | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st pers. sing. | -ay | -k + -ay + /k/a → -kayga -g + -ay + /k/a → -gayga -h + -ay + /k/a → -hayga | -t + -ay + /t/a → -tayda -sh + -ay + /t/a → -shayda -d + -ay + /t/a → -dayda | my |
| 2nd pers. sing. | -aa | -k + -aa + /k/a → -kaaga -g + -aa + /k/a → -gaaga -h + -aa + /k/a → -haaga | -t + -aa + /t/a → -taada -sh + -aa + /t/a → -shaada -h + -aa + /t/a → -daada | your |
| 3rd pers. sing. masc. | -iis | -k + -iis + (k)a → -kiisa -g + -iis + (k)a → -giisa -h + -iis + (k)a → -hiisa | -t + -iis + (t)a → -tiisa -sh + -iis + (t)a → -shiisa -d + -iis + (t)a → -diisa | his |
| 3rd pers. sing. fem. | -eed | -k + -eed + (k)a → -keeda -g + -eed + (k)a → -geeda -h + -eed + (k)a → -heeda | -t + -eed + (t)a → -teeda -sh + -eed + (t)a → -sheeda -d + -eed + (t)a → -deeda | her |
| 1st pers. plur. excl. | -aya | -k + -aya + /k/a → -kayaga -g + -aya + /k/a → -gayaga -h + -aya + /k/a → -hayaga | -t + -aya + /t/a → -tayaga -sh + -aya + /t/a → -shayaga -d + -aya + /t/a → -dayaga | our |
| 1st pers. plur. incl. | -een | -k + -een + (k)a → -keenna -g + -een + (k)a → -geenna -h + -een + (k)a → -heenna | -t + -een + (t)a → -teenna -sh + -een + (t)a → -sheenna -d + -een + (t)a → -deenna | our |
| 2nd pers. plur. | -iin | -k + -iin + (k)a → -kiinna -g + -iin + (k)a → -giinna -h + -iin + (k)a → -hiinna | -t + -iin + (t)a → -tiinna -sh + -iin + (t)a → -shiinna -d + -iin + (t)a → -diinna | your |
| 3rd pers. plur. | -ood | -k + -ood + (k)a → -kooda -g + -ood + (k)a → -gooda -h + -ood + (k)a → -hooda | -t + -ood + (t)a → -tooda -sh + -ood + (t)a → -shooda -d + -ood + (t)a → -dooda | their |
As you can see from the table, when the possessive ends in a consonant, the consonant at the initial of the article marker is dropped :
-kiis + ka makes -kiisa instead of [-kiiska].
-teed + ta makes -teeda instead of [-teedta].
When the possessive ends in a vowel, the voiced consonant at the initial of the article marker becomes unvoiced :
-kay + ka makes -kayga instead of [-kayka]
-tay + ta makes -kayda instead of [-kayta]
Examples :
| Possessor : 1st Person Singular | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankayga | = my country | dawooyinkayga | = my medicines |
| -ga | gurigayga | = my house | ||
| -ha | furahayga | = my key | guriyahayga | = my houses |
| -ta | kabtayda | = my shoe | ||
| -sha | hashayda | = my she-camel | furayashayda | = my keys |
| -da | dawoodayda | = my medicine | furashyodayda | = my mattresses |
| Possessor : 2nd Person Singular | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankaaga | = your country | dawooyinkaaga | = your medicines |
| -ga | gurigaaga | = your house | ||
| -ha | furahaaga | = your key | guriyahaaga | = your houses |
| -ta | kabtaada | = your shoe | ||
| -sha | hashaada | = your she-camel | furayashaada | = your keys |
| -da | dawoodaada | = your medicine | furashyodaada | = your mattresses |
| Possessor : 3rd Person Singular Masculine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankiisa | = his country | dawooyinkiisa | = his medicines |
| -ga | gurigiisa | = his house | ||
| -ha | furahiisa | = his key | guriyahiisa | = his houses |
| -ta | kabtiisa | = his shoe | ||
| -sha | hashiisa | = his she-camel | furayashiisa | = his keys |
| -da | dawoodiisa | = his medicine | furashyodiisa | = his mattresses |
| Possessor : 3rd Person Singular Feminine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankeeda | = her country | dawooyinkeeda | = her medicines |
| -ga | gurigeeda | = her house | ||
| -ha | furaheeda | = her key | guriyaheeda | = her houses |
| -ta | kabteeda | = her shoe | ||
| -sha | hasheeda | = her she-camel | furayasheeda | = her keys |
| -da | dawoodeeda | = her medicine | furashyodeeda | = her mattresses |
| Possessor : 1st Person Plural Exclusive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankayaga | = our country | dawooyinkayaga | = our medicines |
| -ga | gurigayaga | = our house | ||
| -ha | furahayaga | = our key | guriyahayaga | = our houses |
| -ta | kabtayaga | = our shoe | ||
| -sha | hashayaga | = our she-camel | furayashayaga | = our keys |
| -da | dawoodayaga | = our medicine | furashyodayaga | = our mattresses |
| Possessor : 1st Person Plural Inclusive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankeena | = our country | dawooyinkeena | = our medicines |
| -ga | gurigeena | = our house | ||
| -ha | furaheena | = our key | guriyaheena | = our houses |
| -ta | kabteena | = our shoe | ||
| -sha | hasheena | = our she-camel | furayasheena | = our keys |
| -da | dawoodeena | = our medicine | furashyodeena | = our mattresses |
| Possessor : 2nd Person Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankiinna | = your country | dawooyinkiinna | = my medicines |
| -ga | gurigiinna | = your house | ||
| -ha | furahiinna | = your key | guriyahiinna | = your houses |
| -ta | kabtiinna | = your shoe | ||
| -sha | hashiinna | = your she-camel | furayashiinna | = my keys |
| -da | dawoodiinna | = your medicine | furashyodiinna | = your mattresses |
| Possessor : 3rd Person Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite article | Noun sing. | translation | Noun plur. | translation |
| -ka | waddankooda | = their country | dawooyinkooda | = their medicines |
| -ga | gurigooda | = their house | ||
| -ha | furahooda | = their key | guriyahooda | = their houses |
| -ta | kabtooda | = their shoe | ||
| -sha | hashooda | = their she-camel | furayashooda | = their keys |
| -da | dawoodooda | = their medicine | furashyodooda | = their mattresses |
Further examples and remarks :
| Magacaa ? | [What's] your name ? | Magacaygu waa X. | My name is X. (-u is the subject marker) |
| Magaciis ? | [What's] his name ? | Magaciisu waa X. | His name is X. |
| Magaceed ? | [What's] her name ? | Magaceedu waa X. | Her name is X. |
Another instance of inalienable possession with gender agreement : people say geeleyga (= my herds of camels) instead of #geelehayga.
Possessive Pronouns :
As in English, there are also possessive pronouns in Somali.
The possessive pronouns are stand-alone words.
They are formed on the possessive prefixes and begin with ka- in the masculine, ta- in the feminine and kuw- in the plural (for both masculine and feminine).
Table of possessive pronouns :
| Person | Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st pers. sing. | kayga | tayda | kuwayga | mine |
| 2nd pers. sing. | kaaga | taada | kuwaaga | yours |
| 3rd pers. sing. masc. | kiisa | tiisa | kuwiisa | his |
| 3rd pers. sing. fem. | keeda | teeda | kuweeda | hers |
| 1st pers. plur. excl. | kayaga | tayaga | kawayaga | ours |
| 1st pers. plur. incl. | keena | teena | kuweena | ours |
| 2nd pers. plur. | kiinna | tiinna | kuwiinna | yours |
| 3rd pers. plur. | kooda | tooda | kuwooda | theirs |
Source: http://hooyo.web.free.fr
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