Lesson 3. Iri ga jiney kabu. Content Intro (this may take some time to load) Vocabulary Greetings Grammar Exercises   3.B. Vocabulary Verbs Nouns Adverbs of time and adjectives Cardinal numbers Learn these words by heart. 3.B.1 Verbs Zarma English Pronunciation bu to die bu hen to cry, to weep (aloud), by extension: to roar (lion), to bray (donkey), to moo (cow), to bellow (bull) hen (nasal) guna to look, to look at, to watch gu/ na ne to say (never "to tell") ne goro to sit, to dwell, to reside, to remain gô/ ro te to make, to do, to happen te donton to send (a person) don/ ton samba to send (an object) sam/ ba maa # to hear; by extension, to understand maa di # to see di Back Notes: # signifies verb that take the direct object afterwards, see Lesson 2.C.1 & 3.D.5 The verb "maa" takes an "r" for euphony attached to the direct object when it is "a" or "ey" (see Grammar in part 3.D.4 for this form of "ngey"): Ay maa r'a. I heard it (him). Iri maa r'ey. We heard them. 3.B.2 Nouns Zarma English Pronunciation musu beri, musu bero lion (literally: big cat) mu / su bê / ri yeeji, yeejo bull yê / ji curo, cura bird cu / ro han, hano day (limited use) hân; hân / o alfa religious teacher; by extension a priest (marabou) al / fa (vocative) alfaga religious teacher; by extension a priest (marabou) àl fa / ga malam (H) religious teacher; by extension a priest (marabou) ma / lam gomni, gomno grace, free gift (no return expected) gom / ni Back 3.B.3 Adverbs of time, adjectives Zarma English Pronunciation hunkuna today hun / ku / na bi yesterday bi bi fo before yesterday (usually two days ago, but may be some recent day) bi fo beri (adjective) big bê / ri Back 3.B.4 Cardinal numbers Zarma number pronunciation Zarma number pronunciation afo 1 à / fô iddu 6 îd / du ihinka 2 î hin / ka iyye 7 îy / ye ihinza 3 î hin / za ahaku 8 â ha / ku itaci 4 î ta / ci iyegga 9 î yeg / ga igu 5 î gu / iway 10 î way / Back   3.C. Greeting (foyan) As was explained in Lesson 1 greetings are time and context dependent. In Lesson 1 we have learned to greet an individual. In this lesson we will learn to greet a group and to say goodbye. In the greetings grammar is used beyond the grammar explained in this lesson. Morning, to a group Greeting: Araŋ kani baani? Reply: Baani samay. Ni kani ka baan, dey? (see Lesson 1) Afternoon to a group Greeting: Araŋ foy baani? Reply: Baani samay. Ni foy ka baan, dey? (see Lesson 1) Goodbye late in the forenoon until late afternoon Greeting: Iri ma foy baani! (May we have a good day!) Reply: Iri ma foy da gomni! (May we have a gracious day!) (Literally: May we spend the day in health; may we spend the day with grace!) Goodbye late in the evening Greeting: Iri ma kani baani! (May we have a good night!) Reply: Iri ma kani da gomni! (May we have a gracious night!) (Literally: May we rest with health; may we rest with grace!)   3.D. Grammar Subjects in this lesson The cardinal numbers 1 - 10 The verb-uncompleted aspect (future tense) The indefinite pronoun The word "ey" as a direct object Sentence order (continued) 3.D.1. The cardinal numbers 1-10 All the numbers in Zarma are based on these first ten, except for the specific words of the tens, "hundred" and "thousand", so learn them thoroughly (see 3.B.4). All of the cardinal numbers, except 6, 7, and 8, drop the prefix vowel ("i" or "a") when they are qualifying adjectives, directly following a noun or a noun with an adjective modifier. The noun does not take either a definite (see 1.D.2) or a plural ending (see 1.D.3), these being carried by the number if needed. Examples Zarma English bari fo one horse, a horse curo hinka two birds farkay gu five donkeys wayboro iyye seven women yo ahaku eight camels Back 3.D.2. The verb-uncompleted aspect (future tense) The future tense denotes action to be completed in the future - something that will happen - and the particle (or auxiliary) "ga" (very short vowel) is used before the verb. If there is a direct object preceding the verb, it comes between the "ga" and the verb. Examples Zarma English Ay ga koy. I will go. I'm going to go. Ni ga kaa. You will come. You 're going to come I ga maa. They will hear. They are going to hear. (Also means: "I 'll see to it they hear", in taking message.) A ga zuru. He will run. He 's going to run. Zanka ga cura guna. The child will look at the bird. Notes: The tone for "ga" is flexible, being the opposite of the tone of the next syllable in the sentence. This particle "ga" is used with all the simple tenses in the incomplete aspect of the verb, not just with the future. When a noun or pronoun beginning with a vowel is used as a direct object, it can (and does) contract the "a" of the "ga", in the future tense. Examples Zarma English A g' I neera He will sell them. Iri g' Abdu donton. We will send Abdu. Back 3.D.3. The Indefinite Pronoun The indefinite pronoun (non-specific pronoun) "they" is expressed by the third person plural "i" in Zarma, much as we do in English. Examples Zarma English I ne a koy fu. They said he went home. I ne hari ga kaa. They said it is going to rain. Back 3.D.4. The word "ey" as a direct object The Zarma word for third person plural pronoun "them" is "i" (see Lesson 1.D.1). There are two other forms that are used in specific situations. One of those forms is "ey". When a verb requiring the direct object after it needs the third person plural pronoun "them", use "ey" rather then "i". This has something to do with ease of pronunciation. Examples Zarma English Ni bariyey kaa. Oho, ay di ey. Your horses came. Yes, I saw them. Araŋ di ey, wala? Did you see them? Zankey hen. Iri maa r' ey. The children cried. We heard them. Back 3.D.5. Sentence Order (continued) When a transitive verb is one of subjective perception or emotion, the sentence order is: subject (+ auxiliary) + verb + object Examples subject-article auxiliary (unless past tense) verb object article Wando . di ywa The wife . saw the camels . . . . Iri ga maa farkay hinza We shall hear three donkeys Back   Last updated: 22 augustus 2013 web site metrics website analytics