Difference between revisions of "Khasi/Grammar"

Revision as of 02:00, 9 February 2017

Articles 'ka' and 'u' function respectively as the feminine and masculine singular articles. They typically come before nouns.
- ka khun<n><sg><f> ↔ 'daughter'
- u khun<n><sg><m> ↔ 'son'
The gender of a noun cannot be shown by the article in the plural, as the plural article is 'ki', and it carries no gender. Instead, a marker-word is often attached to indicate gender, such as the most general 'kynthei' meaning female and 'shinrang' meaning male.
- ki lang-kynthei<n><pl><f> ↔ 'she-goats', 'ewes'
- ki lang-shinrang<n><pl><m> ↔ 'he-goats', 'rams'
There are more specific terms for some words. These specific terms are often epithets describing a feature of a male or female of such a word. For example:
- ki massi-kyrtong<n><pl><m> ↔ 'bulls', 'male cows'
  - massi<n> ↔ 'cow'
  - kyrtong<adj><m> ↔ 'fat', 'strong'

Most abstract nouns are formed by adding the prefix 'jing' to a a verb or adjective or by applying the feminine singular article 'ka' to an adjective
- ka jingleh<n> ↔ 'action'
  - leh<inf> ↔ 'to do'
- ka babha<n> ↔ 'the good'
  - babha<adj> ↔ 'good'
Sometimes the 'ka' + adjective formation drops the 'ba' prefix found in an adjective
- ka suk<n> ↔ 'happiness'
  - suk<adj> ↔ 'happy'
Some words formed like abstract nouns might actually be common nouns that used to be abstract nouns.
- ka jing khang <n> ↔ 'a door', lit 'a shutting'

'nong' attaches to verb to create a noun
- nongtuh <n> ↔ 'thief'
  - tuh <inf> ↔ 'to steal'

According to Eugénie J. A. Henderson, "overt prefixes of less common occurrence include shi- ‘one; mar- ‘facing, matching’; kat- ‘to such a degree’; kum- ‘like’; hang- ‘place where,’" with examples such as:

Spellrelax: with the 'jing' prefix, sometimes g is dropped. Furthermore, sometimes 'jing' is written as a separate word.

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 *** {{morphTest|massi{{tag|n}}|'cow'}}
 *** {{morphTest|kyrtong{{tag|adj}}{{tag|m}}|'fat', 'strong'}}
+==== Case ====
+==== Morphology ====
+===== Abstract Nouns =====
+* Most abstract nouns are formed by adding the prefix 'jing' to a a verb or adjective or by applying the feminine singular article 'ka' to an adjective
+** {{morphTest|ka jingleh{{tag|n}}|'action'}}
+*** {{morphTest|leh{{tag|inf}}|'to do'}}
+** {{morphTest|ka babha{{tag|n}}|'the good'}}
+*** {{morphTest|babha{{tag|adj}}|'good'}}
+* Sometimes the 'ka' + adjective formation drops the 'ba' prefix found in an adjective
+** {{morphTest|ka suk{{tag|n}}|'happiness'}}
+*** {{morphTest|suk{{tag|adj}}|'happy'}}
+* Some words formed like abstract nouns might actually be common nouns that used to be abstract nouns.
+** {{morphTest|ka jing khang {{tag|n}}|'a door', lit 'a shutting'}}
+===== Agentive Marker =====
+* 'nong' attaches to verb to create a noun
+**{{morphTest|nongtuh {{tag|n}}|'thief'}}
+***{{morphTest|tuh {{tag|inf}}|'to steal'}}
-==== Singular ====
+===== Other Prefixes =====
-==== Plural ====
+* According to Eugénie J. A. Henderson, "overt prefixes of less common occurrence include shi- ‘one; mar- ‘facing, matching’; kat- ‘to such a degree’; kum- ‘like’; hang- ‘place where,’" with examples such as:
+**
+Spellrelax: with the 'jing' prefix, sometimes g is dropped. Furthermore, sometimes 'jing' is written as a separate word.
 === Verbs ===