Chapter 06 - Somali Possessives

 Inventory on the possessives :

1. Unlike in English, the possessive in Somali is not a detached word.
2. The somali possessive is always attached as a suffix to the end of a noun.
3. When a possessive is used, the noun is necessarily definite.
4. The possessive suffix will always be preceeded by a definite marker /-ka-/-ga-/-ha- (masc.) or /-ta-/-sha-/-da- (fem.).
5. The possessive suffix must also agree in gender with the noun it is affixed to !
6. 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.

Cases of inalienable possession may sometimes take gender agreement, especially if the person is present when being spoken of : ninkeed or ninkeeda (= her husband), abbeed or abbeeda (= her father), etc..
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