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Grammar 10

a) The genitive construction

The genitive construction consists of two nouns whose relation is expressed by means of the particle /d/:

kilo d tene one kilogram of figs ܟܝܠܐ ܕܬܶܢܶܐ
šušaye d ḥamro one bottle of wine ܫܘܫܰܝܶܐ ܕܚܰܡܪܐ
koso d bira one glass of beer ܟܳܣܐ ܕܒܝܪܰܐ
yawmo d mawlodo birthday ܝܰܘܡܐ ܕܡܰܘܠܳܕܐ
The parts of the genitive construction agree in their definiteness. Hence, if the first part is definite (stands with the definite article), the second part must consequently take on the definite article, too. If needed, it can be translated into English with the help of the possessive preposition ‘of’:
u šqolo du waxam the purchase of goods ܐܘ ܫܩܳܠܐ ܕܘ ܘܰܟ݂ܰܡ
i luḥo du šqolo the shopping list (the list of the shopping) ܐܝ ܠܘܚܐ ܕܘ ܫܩܳܠܐ
i dukano daj jule the clothing store (the store of the clothing) ܐܝ ܕܘܟܰܢܐ ܕܰܔ ܔܘܠܶܐ
If the first noun is a noun that takes on possessive suffixes of the restricted series (cf. Grammar 5a.2) it can take on the possessive suffix in definite genitive constructions. In this case, only the second noun takes on the definite article.
falga di šato half of the year ܦܰܠܓܰܗ ܕܝ ܫܰܬܐ
yawme du mawlodo the birthday (the day of birth) ܝܰܘܡܶܗ ܕܘ ܡܰܘܠܳܕܐ
ëšme du kalbo the name of the dog ܐܷܫܡܶܗ ܕܘ ܟܰܠܒܐ

In this definite genitive construction, the second noun can, where possible, take on a possessive suffix instead of the definite article:

abre d cammi the son of my paternal uncle ܐܰܒܪܶܗ ܕܥܰܡܡܝ
barṯa d camṯe the daughter of his paternal aunt ܒܰܪܬ݂ܰܗ ܕܥܰܡܬ݂ܶܗ
bayte d babux the house of your (m.Sg.) father ܒܰܝܬܶܗ ܕܒܰܒܘܟ݂
ḥoṯa d eman the sister of our mother ܚܳܬ݂ܰܗ ܕܐܶܡܰܢ

Some genitive constructions are set expressions:

falge d yawmo midday ܦܰܠܓܶܗ ܕܝܰܘܡܐ
falge d lalyo midnight ܦܰܠܓܶܗ ܕܠܰܠܝܐ
yawme d ḥušabo Sunday ܝܰܘܡܶܗ ܕܚܘܫܰܒܐ
yawme d arbco Wednesday ܝܰܘܡܶܗ ܕܐܰܪܒܥܐ
riša di šato New Year’s Day ܪܝܫܰܗ ܕܝ ܫܰܬܐ

b) The independent possessive pronoun

The independent possessive pronoun is formed by means of the particle diḏ- ܕܝܕ݂ـ in combination with the possessive suffixes of the restricted series (cf. Grammar 5a.2):

  Singular Plural
1st Person diḏi mine ܕܝܕ݂ܝ diḏan ours ܕܝܕ݂ܰܢ
2nd Person diḏux yours (m.) ܕܝܕ݂ܘܟ݂ dëṯxu yours ܕܷܬ݂ܟ݂ܘ
diḏax yours (f.) ܕܝܕ݂ܰܟ
3rd Person diḏe his ܕܝܕ݂ܶܗ dëṯṯe theirs ܕܷܬ݂ܬ݂ܶܗ
diḏa hers ܕܝܕ݂ܰܗ

Examples:

aḥ ḥaqloṯani diḏan ne these fields are ours ܐܰܚ ܚܰܩܠܳܬ݂ܰܢܝ ܕܝܕ݂ܰܢ ܢܶܐ
koḥozina ḥawrone me diḏan we see friends of ours ܟܳܚܳܙܝܢܰܐ ܚܰܘܪܳܢܶܐ ܡܶܐ ܕܝܕ݂ܰܢ
makinat modern xud dëṯxu modern machines like yours ܡܰܟܝܢܰܬ ܡܳܕܶܪܢ ܟ݂ܘܕ ܕܷܬ݂ܟ݂ܘ