Difference between revisions of "Khasi/Grammar"

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(Other Prefixes)
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===== Other Prefixes =====
 
===== Other Prefixes =====
* 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:
+
* 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.’"
  
 
Spellrelax: with the 'jing' prefix, sometimes g is dropped. Furthermore, sometimes 'jing' is written as a separate word.
 
Spellrelax: with the 'jing' prefix, sometimes g is dropped. Furthermore, sometimes 'jing' is written as a separate word.

Revision as of 22:35, 8 February 2017

Parts of speech

Nouns

Gender and Number

  • 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'

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
    • 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'
Agentive Marker
  • 'nong' attaches to verb to create a noun
    • nongtuh <n> ↔ 'thief'
      • tuh <inf> ↔ 'to steal'
Other Prefixes
  • 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.’"

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

Verbs

  • kyrhuh<vblex><pres><actv> ↔ 'roar'
  • bam<vblex><pres><actv> ↔ 'eat'

Adjectives

  • babha<adj> ↔ 'good'
  • barit<adj> ↔ 'small'

Prepositions

  • jong<pr> ↔ 'of'
  • ha<pr> ↔ 'in, to, at, on'

Pronouns

  • nga<prn> ↔ 'I'
  • ngi<prn> ↔ 'we'