hamer grammar

7/24/2019 Hamer Grammar

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ABRIEF GRAMMAR

OF THE

HAMER LANGUAGE


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First Draft

This Grammar booklet is a product of the Discover-Your-Grammar workshop, which is a joint project

between:

Dilla University, Institute of Indigenous Studies and

SIL Ethiopia, P.O.Box 2576, Addis Ababa

Title:

English title: A Brief Grammar of the Hamer Language

Language: Hamer, spoken in Ethiopia

Year of publication: 2011

Writer: Andreas Joswig


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Table of Contents

0

Preface ............................................................................. iv

1 Introduction ..................................................................... 1

2 Noun .................................................................................. 6

3

Modifying the Noun Phrase ............................................ 8

4 Pronouns and Possessives ............................................. 14

5 Subjects and Predicates ................................................ 18

6 Verbs ............................................................................... 22

7 Transitive Verbs ............................................................ 26

8 Non-Final Verbs and Verbal Derivations ................... 29

9 Other Ways to Use Noun Phrases ................................ 33

10 Story: Donkey, Dog and Goat ...................................... 39


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0 Preface

This brief grammar was developed and written during a work-

shop held in August and September 2011 in Dilla. The purpose

of this book is to make the Hamer community aware of the

wealth and variation it inherited with the Hamer language. The

language possesses an intricate system of forms and rules,

which all speakers use in their daily lives, often without being

consciously aware of them. Many of these forms and rules are

presented in this little book. It also needs to be pointed out that

the purpose of this book is not to present a full and comprehen-

sive description of the Hamer language. This would be beyond

the scope of this work, and it would require a different ap-

proach to the language. Many forms of the Hamer language are

not even mentioned in here, and some areas of the Hamer

grammar have been omitted from this work. Also this book at-

tempts to use terminology which is understandable by a wide

audience. The hope is even that it can be translated into the

Hamer language to make it fully accessible to all Hamer spea-

kers. Therefore this book will disappoint everybody who wants

to see a description of Hamer according to the latest linguistic

models and terminology.

We want to thank Ato Hussein Mohammed for teaching the

workshop in Amharic. We are especially grateful for the tre-

mendous assistance rendered by Dilla University and the Insti-tute of Indigenous Studies. Special thanks go to Tariku Degu,

who organized the whole workshop well in advance and re-

sponded to all our wishes before we even asked for them. The

Hamer speakers working on this booklet were Ato Alma Bali,

W/ro Betelhem Gele, Ato Berki Banko, Ato Garsho Sofar and

Ato Shada Guri.

Andreas Joswig, SIL Ethiopia


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1 Introduct ion

The Hamer language is spoken by the Hamer people in the

Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, in the

Hamer Wereda near the towns of Turmi, Irbore and Dimeka.

The number of speakers is approximately 50,000 according to

the 2007 census. The Hamer people are cattle herders and do

not farm the land. Jean Lydall wrote a very useful 45-page

grammar sketch of Hamer in 1976.

1.1 Orthography

The Hamer orthography has not been developed yet. For the

purposes of this book, the following orthography has been

adopted. It needs to be pointed out that this cannot serve as the

final orthography of the language, as it does not show impor-

tant features such as length of vowels or consonants, or tone.

More work needs to happen before a good orthography for the

Hamer community can be provided. Also, because the ortho-

graphy is not settled yet, the data in this booklet lacks consis-

tency in the way it is presented, and often does not adequately

represent all the necessary distinctions found in the grammar.

1.1.1 Vowels:

Hamer has five vowels, which are shown in the orthography by

adding markers to the consonants, as shown in section 1.1.2.

The five vowels are:

, low central vowel /a/

mid front vowel /e/

high front vowel /i/

mid back vowel /o/

high back vowel /u/


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When shown in this form, the vowels are preceded by a glottal

stop //. All vowels can appear long and short.

1.1.2 Consonants:The following consonants are present in Hamer. They are

shown in the Amharic order. The first form is usually not used

in Hamer (but in this booklet it may show up in places where

the fifth order may have been more appropriate). The sixth

form is used for consonants without a following vowel.

,,,,,, glottal fricative /h/

meeting

,,,,,, labial nasal /m/

answer

,,,,,, alveolar lateral /l/ simply

,,,,,, alveolar flap /r/ time

,,,,,, alveolar fricative /s/ just like

that

,,,,,,, postalveolar fricative // sand

,,,,,, velar ejective // goat

,,,,,, voiced labial stop /b/

he shouts

,,,,,, voiceless alveolar stop /t/ now

,,,,,, voiceless postalveolar

affricatet/

hate

,,,,,, alveolar nasal /n/ fire

,,,,,, palatal nasal //

ostrich

feather


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,,,,,, voiceless velar stop /k/ her

,,,,,, voiceless velar fricative ox

,,,,,, labial semivowel /w/ our

,,,,,, voiced alveolar fricative /z/ he

wanted

,,,,,, he

went

,,,,,, voiced alveolar stop /d/ there

is

alveolar implosive stop // he

threw

,,,,,, palatal voiced affricate

green

,,,,,,, voiced velar stop //

refuse

,,,,,, alveolar ejective stop //

darkness

,,,,,, postalveolar ejective // sky

,,,,,, labial ejective stop // up

,,,,,, alveolar ejective affricate // black

,,,,,, voiceless labial stop /p/ horse

In addition to the segments shown above, tone also plays amajor role in Hamer. Tone is very little studied so far in the

language. Tone is not marked in this book and needs to be con-

sidered carefully in future publications.

1.2 Outline

This grammar sketch of Hamer is organized according to struc-

ture of the language. Section2 will deal with the nouns, section


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3 with modifiers of the noun phrase, section4 with pronouns

and possessives, section5 with subjects and predicates, section

6 with verbs and person markings, section 7 with transitive

verbs, section 8 with non-final verbs and verbal derivations,

and section 9 with other types of noun phrases and adverbs.

Finally, all aspects of the grammar will be illustrated by the

story The donkey, the dog and the goat(section10).

For the purpose of this grammar sketch, we will use the

following basic linguistic terms:

noun gender

o malefemale

number

o singularplural

definiteness

o definiteindefinite

adjective numeral

o cardinal number

o ordinal number

demonstrative

pronoun

o personal pronoun

o object pronouno possessive pronoun

person

o 1stperson

o 2ndperson

o 3rdperson

Role of the Noun Phrase

o predicate


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o subject

o object

o possessive

o dative

o locative

o directional

o ablative

o comitative

o instrumental

verb

o intransitive

o transitive

o derivation

causative

passive

reciprocal

adverb

All of these terms will be defined in later sections.

1.3 Kinds of Words

All sentences consist of several words. These words can be classi-

fied according to how they look (form) and what they do (func-

tion). Here are examples for different kinds of words in Hamer:

, , for verbs ,, for nouns

, , for adjectives

, , for numeralsOf these, nouns and verbs are most common. You will find

them in almost every sentence.


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2 Noun

Nounsare words that refer to people and things; they often in-

dicate countable and tangible objects. Nouns in Hamer distin-

guish the number (singular, plural), but they dont distinguish

the gender (male, female).

2.1 Gender

Genderis the grammatical distinction between maleandfemale

of the thing or person the word indicates. Gender often corre-

lates with the natural sex of a person or animal. In Hamer the

difference between male and female nouns is not expressed on

the as such, but on the words which accompany the noun.

Example 1

this woman this man

The word for woman ()has female gender, the word for

man ()has male gender. This can be seen by the differentdemonstratives preceding the two nouns, which are chosen

according to the gender of the noun.

Female nouns:

Example 2

girl woman cow she-goat

Male nouns:

Example 3

boy man bull billy goat


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2.2 Number

Number is the distinction between singularandpluralmarked

on a word.

Example 4

A thief came. Thieves came.

A bird came. Birds came.

A goat came. Goats came.

The difference between singular and plural for the noun is

usually expressed by the marker -for plural. Some nouns foranimals end on the vowel -for singular and -a for plural.

The following chart lists the Hamer number markers:

marker examplesingular -, - ,

plural -, - ,

2.3 Definite and Indefinite

In Hamer there is no grammatical difference between definite

and indefinite nouns.

Example 5

A thief slept. The thief slept.

Thieves slept. The thieves slept.


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3 Modi fy ing the Noun Phrase

In Hamer, a lot of things can be done with a noun. If some

information is added to the noun, we call the result a noun

phrase. The following elements can be added to a noun phrase:

demonstratives, numerals, and adjectives. If things are added to

a noun in a noun phrase, then we call the noun the head noun

of the noun phrase.

3.1 Demonstratives

Demonstratives are words which can be added to a noun

phrase. Demonstratives help the speaker to show something;

they identify more clearly what the speaker refers to. They

signal nearness or distance. In Hamer, demonstratives show

number and gender.

Demonstratives= words that define a nouns reference

We can distinguish between near demonstratives and far de-

monstratives.

3.1.1 Near Demonstratives

Example 6

, this stone, this thief

In Hamer, the near demonstrative word can be put in front of thehead noun or after the head noun. In these examples it is .

3.1.2 Far Demonstratives

Example 7

, that stone, that thief

Also the far demonstrative word can be placed in front of or

after the head nounin these examples it is .


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Near demonstratives define a noun as near to the speaker.

Far demonstrativesdefine a noun as far from the speaker.

3.1.3 Gender Marking on the DemonstrativeDemonstratives are marked for gender:

Example 8

Near , this woman, this man

Far , that woman, that man

In Hamer, the demonstratives for male and female are

different. They are and for near demonstratives, and and for far demonstratives.

3.1.4 Number Marking of Demonstratives

Demonstratives are marked for number.

Example 9

Near , this house, these houses, these women

Far , that house, those houses, those women

The form for plural near demonstratives is , for plural fardemonstratives it is .

3.2 Numerals

Numerals are words which can be added to a noun phrase.

They are used to indicate the exact number of the noun in a

noun phrase.


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Numeral= a word that is employed for counting.

In Hamer, there are two types of numerals: cardinal numbers

and ordinal numbers.Cardinal number= a numeral that indicates the number of ob-

jects (things or people)

Ordinal number= a numeral that indicates the order of appear-

ance

3.2.1 Cardinal Numbers

Cardinal numbers are numerals which refer to a particularnumber of items of the noun they refer to.

Example 10

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten twenty

hundred

In Hamer, the number twenty means literally one full person.

Multiples of twenty are then counted as full persons, like one

hundred as five full persons.

In most cases, cardinal numbers are used to count nouns. When

used in a noun phrase, they follow the noun. Numbers higher than

one are also marked for plural by the marker -.

Example 11

one tree one house two trees two houses three trees three houses


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3.2.2 Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numberstell you the order of things, like the first, the

second, the third and so on. Mostly ordinal numbers are

counting a noun. Ordinal numbers are formed from cardinal

numbers by adding the marker -to the number word.Example 12

the second tree

the third tree

The following chart is a summary of the cardinal and ordinal

numbers in Hamer, and the ways in which they are used.

one two three ten

one tree two trees three trees ten trees

the first tree the second tree the third tree the tenth tree

3.3 Adjectives

Adjectives are another kind of word which can be added to a

noun phrase. They provide information on the quality of the

noun. In Hamer, adjectives can precede or follow the headnoun of the noun phrase.

Example 13

, beautiful horse, black cloth, white tooth, red cow

, fat boy


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, slim girl, heavy bag, fertile field

, rich man

3.4 Plural Marking on Adjectives

The plural on the adjective is marked by adding the marker -to the adjective. This means that in a noun phrase both the

noun and the adjective are marked for the plural.

Example 14, beautiful horses, black clothes, white teeth, red cows, fat boys, slim girls

, heavy bags, black calves, black sheep (PL)

3.5 Gender Marking on Adjectives

The adjective shows also the gender of the noun, by adding the

marker -for feminine nouns.

Example 15, the short thief, the short woman, the fat ox, the fat cow


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3.6 The Order of Elements in a Noun Phrase

As has been seen before, in Hamer the noun can be at the end

or the beginning of the noun phrase. The other elements need

to come in the fixed order demonstrativenumeraladjective.

Therefore, the following two orders of the noun-phrase are

possible:

demonstrativenumeraladjectivesnoun

noundemonstrativenumeraladjectives

Example 16

NOUN DEM NUM ADJ

DEM NUM ADJ NOUN

these four long spears

NOUNNUM ADJ

NUM ADJ NOUN

the third strong man


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4 Pronouns and Possess ives

In some cases a noun phrase may look different to the ones we

have seen so far. Instead of showing a real noun, they may be

filled by just a pronoun, or the noun may be accompanied by a

possessive noun or pronoun.

4.1 Pronouns

Pronounsare words that take the position of nouns. The mean-

ing of a pronoun can only be determined by looking at the context.

4.1.1 Personal PronounsThe personal pronoun shows who does something. Personal

pronouns usually make all the personal distinctions which are

important in the language. In Hamer this is person (1st, 2

nd, 3

rd),

gender (male, female), and number (singular, plural). The

speaker is called the 1stperson, the person spoken to is called

the 2nd

person, and the person spoken about is called the 3rd

person. In Hamer there are 7 different personal pronouns, 4 forthe singular, 3 for the plural.

SG PL

1. I ran we ran

2.S you ran you all ran

3.M he ran they ran

3.F she ranSG PL

1.

2.

3.M

3.F

As can be seen, the forms for the 3rd

person singular and plural

are the same in Hamer.


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4.2 Possessive Nouns

Often the speaker wants to indicate who owns the head noun in

a noun phrase. In this case it is necessary to employ possessive

nouns, which modify the head noun. The noun which is owned

and the possessive noun have to be used in the correct order:

In Hamer the noun which expresses the ownership precedes the

head noun and is marked by the marker -.

Example 17

bag of the thief

money of the trader house of the father tail of the horse daughter of the farmer

4.3 Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronounsreplace possessive nouns.

Example 18

Bekelesdonkeys

his donkeys

The noun is replaced by a pronoun; in this case the possessivepronoun replaces the noun referring to the owner. The

possessive pronoun is a form that looks similar to the personal

pronoun, but is accompanied by a marker which depends on

the number and gender of the head noun.

Example 19

my donkey

your donkey


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his donkey her donkey our donkey

your (pl) donkey their donkey

my she-donkey your she-donkey his she-donkey her she-donkey

our she-donkey your (pl) she-donkey their she-donkey

my donkeys your donkeys his donkeys

her donkeys our donkeys your (pl) donkeys their donkeys

The possessive pronouns for unspecified or masculine head

nouns end on -, those for feminine head nouns end on -,and those for plural head nouns end on -. The following chart

contains the possessive pronouns of Hamer. Just as with the

personal pronouns, the forms for the 3rd

person singular and

plural are identical for each of the three categories.


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possessive pronouns SG (MASC) FEM PL

1S

2S

3M

3F

1P

2P

3P


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5 Subjects and Predicates

Each sentence in Hamer consists of a subjectand a predicate.

The subject is the thing or person that the sentence talks about.

The predicate is what is being said about the subject. Other

elements may also belong to the sentence. Here are a few

examples of subjects with predicates in Hamer.

Example 20

Subject Predicate

This man is a good thief.

The girl sleeps. My brother is very clever.

You are my friend.

5.1 Subjects

A subject is the thing or person the sentence is all about.

Usually the subject is a noun phrase or a pronoun. Usually a

subject is found at the beginning of a sentence.In Hamer, the subject cannot be left out in many sentences,

because often the predicate on its own shows no information

about who or what the subject is. In those cases, there is at least

a personal pronoun in the place of the subject. In some verb

forms, however, the identity of the subject already becomes

clear from looking at the verb. Then the subject does not have

to be expressed through a noun phrase or pronoun.

5.2 Predicates

Predicates are the most important thing in a sentence. The

predicate is the thing that is being said about the subject. It can

be that the subject does something; then the predicate is a verb.

We will look at verbs in chapter6.In many sentences the pre-


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dicate is not a verb. In Hamer the predicate usually is at the end

of the sentence.

5.2.1 Noun Phrases as PredicatesOften the speaker wants to say that the subject is the same as

something or someone. Then a noun phrase is used as the

predicate:

Subject Predicate

This man is a good thief.

You are my friend.

In Hamer, a noun-phrase is marked by the marker -, when it isused as predicate. This element is the same for all persons of

the subject. Therefore, the subject needs to be expressed sepa-

rately by a subject noun phrase.

Example 21

I am a thief. (1ST PERSON SINGULAR)

You are a thief. (2ND PERSON SINGULAR) He is a thief. (3RD PERSON MASCULINE) She is a thief. (3RD PERSON FEMININE) We are thieves. (1ST PERSON PLURAL) You are thieves. (2ND PERSON PLURAL) They are thieves. (3RD PERSON PLURAL)

5.2.2 Adjectives as PredicatesAlso adjectives can be used as predicates, when the subject is

said to have a certain quality:

Example 22

Subject Predicate

This leaf is green.

That man is very bad.


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The predicate marker for adjectives is the same as for noun

phrases, .

5.2.3 Numerals as PredicatesNumerals can be used as predicates when the subject is said to

be of a certain number, or to be in a certain order.

Example 23

Subject Predicate

They are three.

He was first.

The predicate marker for numerals is the same as the one for

noun phrases.

5.2.4 Possessives as Predicates

When the subject is being said to belong to someone, the

predicate is either a possessive pronoun, or a possessive noun.

Example 24

Subject Predicate

This is yours.

That donkey is the thiefs.

The predicate marker for possessives is the same as the one for

noun phrases, .

5.2.5 Modifications to the Predicate

In the Hamer language, the predicate can be positive or negative.

Example 25

Subject Predicate

He is a thief.

He is not a thief.

The ox is red.

The ox is not red.


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When a predicate without a verb is used in the negative, it is

marked by the marker -, which is used for all persons.

A predicate can also be used in different times.Example 26

Subject Predicate

He is a thief.

He was a thief.

The ox is red.

The ox was red.

If a predicate is put into the past, it is marked by the marker -,which is used for all persons.


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6 Verbs

The verb is the corner stone of most sentences in Hamer, be-

cause in many sentences the predicate is a verb. A verb usually

is used when something happens or gets done. Verbs describe

events, processes, states or actions. The verb shows the most

variation in its forms.

Example 27

Subject Predicate

The water will flow.

The girl sleeps. My brothers fight.

Your father died.

6.1 Person Marking on the Verb

In the Hamer language, the verb often agrees with the subject:

In non-past verbs a subject in the 1stperson singular requires

the verb to show the marker for the 1st

person singular, and soon. The following verb shows the markers for all persons for

the non-past:

Example 28

I run. you run. he runs.

she runs we run. you run (PL) they run.

As can be seen, the markers for the person appear between the

stem and the tense marker of the verb, which in this case is a

repetition of the verb stem.


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6.2 Tense Marking on the Verb

The verb of Hamer can also be used with different time refe-

rences. The above examples assume that the verb happens at

the time of speaking. But verbs in Hamer can also be used with

different tenses:

Tense = temporal reference indicated on the verb

Example 29

Yesterday, she ran.

Right now she runs.

Tomorrow she will run.

In Hamer, verbs can be used in the past tense, indicating a time

before the time of speaking:

Example 30

I ran. you ran. he ran. she ran. we ran. you ran (PL)

they ran.

In the past tense, a form of the verb is used which does not

change according to the different subject persons. Therefore, a

subject noun-phrase or a personal pronoun needs to be present

to provide clarity about the subject. The verb is marked by -followed by the same predicate marker -that we have seen in

chapter5.2.1.


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In Hamer, you can indicate that an event is ongoing at the time

of speaking (continuous tense):

Example 31 I am running. you are running. he is running. she is running we are running. you are running (PL)

they are running.For this form, the element -is added after the verb stem andthe various person markers.

6.3 Positive and Negative Verbs

Just like on other predicates, also for verbs Hamer can express

whether something is or is not the case.

Example 32

He is a thief.He is not a thief. I run. I dont run.

The following chart shows the various negative forms of

Hamer for the verb run (two dots above a character indicatedifferences in emphasis):


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PAST PRESENT

1S

2S

3M

3F

1P

2P

3P


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7 Trans it ive Verbs

7.1 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

So far we have only looked at predicates which need to beaccompanied by a subject. Some predicates need other noun

phrases to be complete. Such predicates are called transitive

verbs. Verbs which only need a subject are called intransitive

verbs.

Transitivityis the ability of a verb to take an object.

Here are some examples of transitive and intransitive verbs inHamer.

cut run know listen

transitive intransitive transitive transitive

fall give be sick dieintransitive transitive intransitive intransitive

Some verbs are clearly transitive, some are clearly intransitive.

Some verbs, however, can be used in both ways.

7.1.1 Object Marking

The subjectof the sentence is usually the person doing it, and

the object is usually the thing or person which is affected bythe action. About the subject you ask with who?(?) about the object you ask with whom?( ).

Example 33

The dog bit the cat.


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The cat bit the dog.

In these examples, the subject is always in the first position ofthe sentence, and the object always follows the subject. The

subject in Hamer is not marked and the object is marked by the

marker -. Alternatively, the object noun phrase can be

marked by the marker -, as in door (obj.).

7.2 Object Pronouns

Object pronounsstand instead of a noun in the object position.The object pronouns in Hamer are formed by adding the object

marker -to the personal markers.

Example 34

Martha saw me.

Martha saw you (S).

Martha saw him.

Martha saw her.

Martha saw us.

Martha saw you (PL).

Martha saw them.


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object pronouns SG OBJ PL OBJ

1.

2.

3.M

3.F


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8 Non -Final Verbs and Verbal Derivations

8.1 Non-Final Verbs

In Hamer there are two kinds of verbs: Those which stand atthe end of the sentence, and those which are not at the end of

the sentence (non-final verbs). The verbs at the end of a

sentence are often fully marked with reference for subject and

time. The non-final verbs often express an action that happens

before the action expressed in the final verb.

Example 35

My father went to the market and bought bananas.

My father goes to the market and buys bananas.

Here the non-final verb is a form that does not changefor person or time. It will always look the same.

In Hamer there are more forms of non-final verbs. The

following is used to show that actions are taking place at the

same time:

Example 36

While she was running, he came.

For this form, the element -is added to the verb stem.

Another form of non-final verb is used to show the reason for

the main verb:

Example 37

Because the man went home, he was not at the market.


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Example 38

When he goes to the market, hell buy salt.


Another form of added verbs is used to talk about the action

without giving information on person or tense. This form can

be called infinitive.

Example 39It is very important for a baby to drink.

This form turns the verb into something like a noun, and is

called the infinitive. In the Hamer language, it is formed by

adding -to the verb stem.

8.2 Verbal DerivationIn Hamer, verbs come in two ways. Some consist of just the

verb root with its markers for person and time. Others are

called derived verbs: They are formed by taking verb roots and

adding other elements to them. The following sections show

how the Hamer language forms derived verbs.

8.2.1 CausativeCausative verbs express an action where a person is made to do

something by another person. Some of these are just different

words:

Example 40

run make run die kill (make die)


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Other causative verbs are formed by using elements following

the verb root.

Example 41 learn teach

be king make king eat feed (make eat) difficult make difficult open make open sleep make sleep

hear make hear beat make beat

As can be seen, The causative in Hamer is marked in different

ways for each verb. Most often, a marker using a form of -or -is added between the verb stem and the tense marker.

8.2.2 Reciprocal

Reciprocal is a verb that is used when the subjects do the actionto each other. The subject is always in the plural. In Hamer this

is accomplished by using the adverb before the verb, whichotherwise is the same as the underived verb.

Example 42

seesee each other respectrespect each other

fightfight each other marrymarry each other

8.2.3 Passive

With passive verbs, usually the subject is the target of the

action. In Hamer the passive is formed by adding the

marker - between the verb stem and the tense marker:


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Example 43

he ateit was eaten he beatit was beaten

he openedit was opened he closedit was closed he killedit was killed

8.2.4 Stative

The stative derivation expresses that the subject is in a

particular state after an action has been completed. The action

as such is not in the focus of the verb. It is formed by puttingthe marker -at the end of the verb stem.

Example 44

openbe open closebe closed


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9 Other Ways to Use Noun Phrases

So far we have seen noun phrases in three functions: As predi-

cates, subjects and objects. Often they can be used in other ways.

9.1.1 Dative

A Dative noun phrase indicates the person receiving some-

thing, or benefitting from something. The dative is marked in

Hamer by the marker - attached to the noun.About the dativeyou ask with to whom?or for whom?.

Example 45

My father gave meat to the dog.

My mother gave her a dress.

9.1.2 Locative

Locativeexpresses a general location. The noun phrase in the

locative is marked by the marker - attached to the noun.About the locative you ask with where?

Example 46

My father sold tomatoes at the market.

9.1.3 Directional

Directional expresses a motion towards a location. The noun

phrase in the directional case is marked either by the

marker - or the marker -, both attached to the noun.

About the directional you ask with where to?

Example 47

()

A girl went to my mother.


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9.1.4 Ablative

Ablative expresses a motion away from a location. The noun

phrase in the ablative is marked by the word following

the noun. About the ablative you ask with from where?

Example 48

A girl came from my mother.

If the noun is not a person, then the affix - is used to indicate

ablative:

Example 49

A girl came from my mother.

9.1.5 Instrumental

Instrumentalindicates the instrument or means used to execute

an action. The noun phrase in the instrumental is marked by the

marker -attached to the noun. About the instrumental you askwith with what?

Example 50

The market was destroyed by fire.

My father opened the door with a key.

9.1.6 Comitative

Comitativeindicates a person accompanying another person. A

comitative noun phrase is marked by the word followingthe noun. About the comitative you ask with with whom?


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Hamer which do not get inflected. One class of such verbs are

the adverbs.

Adverbs= non-inflecting words that describe a predicate.

The adverb gives additional information about the predicate. It

answers questions about where, when, how or how much. Ad-

verbs, in fact, can be of very different forms, and often they are

derived from other kinds of words, like nouns, demonstratives

or adjectives.

9.2.1 Local AdverbsLocal adverbs= adverbs that indicate the place of an event

Hamer has many locative adverbs. Some are underived, some

are made from nouns or demonstratives.

Example 52

The dog is here.

The ox is there.

The ox is far away.

The goats are down (in the valley).

The goat is up (on the mountain).

Garsho is in front of Alma.

Alma is on the left side of Garsho.


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the car was on the right side.

Betelhem is near Berki.

9.2.2 Temporal Adverbs

Temporal adverbs= adverbs that indicate the time of an event

Here is a sample of Hamer temporal adverbs:

Example 53

Shaada arrived now.

The guest come later.

Berki was in Turmi before.

Garsho will go to the countryside at once.

Bali comes today.

tomorrow yesterday

this year next year

9.2.3 Modal Adverbs, Manner Adverbs

Modal adverbs = adverbs that describe the manner of doing

something


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The following are modal adverbs of Hamer. very is aspecial case of an adverb of degree.

quickly slowly powerfully carefully very


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10 Story : Donkey, Dog and Goat

,

The following shows the text sentence by sentence, with the

English gloss indicated under each word.

, time one donkey dog goat funeral

NOUN NUMERAL NOUN NOUN NOUN NOUN

their friend house to arrive together they started out

NOUN NOUN VERB ADVERB VERB

Once upon a time, Donkey, Dog and Goat began a journey to

arrive at a friends house for a funeral.

on the street going taxi one they found they got in

NOUN VERB NOUN NUM VERB VERB

While they were walking on the street, they saw a taxi and got in.


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after of the taxi taxi boy money they asked

ADVERB NOUN NOUN NOUN VERB

Then they asked the taxi-boy for the money.

donkey money paying taxi boy he received

NOUN NOUN VERB NOUN VERB

Donkey took out money, paid, and received his change.

taxi boy of the dog money change he gave simply

NOUN NOUN NOUN NOUN VERB ADVERB

he said.

VERB

The taxi-boy simply did not return the change of the dog.

goat money nothing she does not have

NOUN NOUN NUM VERB

Goat did not have any money;

therefore just like that to pay she did not want

CONJUNCTION ADVERB VERB VERB

therefore she did not want to pay.

therefore donkey of the dog under she hid

CONJUNCTION NOUN NOUN ADVERB VERB

Therefore she hid below Donkey and Dog.


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funeral house area arriving of the taxi getting off

NOUN NOUN NOUN VERB NOUN VERB

they went

VERB

When they arrived at the funeral home they left the taxi.

therefore at this time on the street when they go

CONJUNCTION ADVERB NOUN VERB idea which they have there is

NOUN VERB VERB

Therefore, when they go on the street nowadays, they

remember this:

donkey money because he paid money change to himNOUN NOUN VERB NOUN PRON

he recieved street simply therefore without fear he goes

VERB NOUN ADVERB CONJ NOUN VERB

Donkey, because he paid the money and got his change, just

walks on the street without bothering.

the dog also of the change because he did not get

NOUN ADV NOUN VERB

because he went off car when he sees always

VERB NOUN VERB ADVERB


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he barks

VERB

Dog, however, because he got off the taxi without his change,

barks whenever he sees a car.

goat also money nothing because she did not pay

NOUN ADV NOUN NUM VERB

therefore always taxi when she seesCONJ ADVERB NOUN VERB

because she is afraid she runs

VERB VERB

But Goat, because she did not pay anything, whenever she sees

a car she gets afraid and runs away.

hamer grammar

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