Circassian pronouns
In the Circassian language, pronouns belong to the following groups: personal, demonstrative, possessive, interrogative, adherent and indefinite.
Personal pronouns[edit]
In Adyghe, personal pronouns are only expressed in first person, second person and reflexive second-person in singular and plural forms.
| Case | First-person | Second-person | Reflexive third-person | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | ||
| Singular | Absolutive | сэ | sa | о | wa | ежь | jaʑ |
| Ergative | сэ | sa | о | wa | ежь | jaʑ | |
| Instrumental | сэркӏэ | sart͡ʃʼa | оркӏэ | wart͡ʃʼa | ежькӏэ | jaʑt͡ʃʼa | |
| Adverbial | сэрэу | saraw | орэу | waraw | ежьрэу | jaʑraw | |
| Plural | Absolutive | тэ | ta | шъо | ʃʷa | ежьхэр | jaʑxar |
| Ergative | тэ | ta | шъо | ʃʷa | ежьхэмэ | jaʑxama | |
| Instrumental | тэркӏэ | tart͡ʃʼa | шъоркӏэ | ʃʷart͡ʃʼa | ежьхэмкӏэ | jaʑxamt͡ʃʼa | |
| Adverbial | тэрэу | taraw | шъорэу | ʃʷaraw | ежьхэрэу | jaʑxaxaw | |
сэ о усэплъэы [sa wa wəsapɬə] I you I am looking at you "I am looking at you."
мы ӏофыр сэркӏэ къины [mə ʔʷafər sart͡ʃʼa qəjnə] this work (abs.) for me hard "this work is hard for me."
ежь сэ къысиӏуагъ [jaʑ sa qəsəjʔʷaːʁ] him/her I (s)he told me "he told me himself."
Demonstrative pronouns[edit]
Demonstrative pronouns are мы "this", мо "that", а "that". There is a contradistinction between 'мы' and 'мо' on how far the referred object is. The pronoun 'а' is neutral on this matter. Third person pronouns are expressed as demonstrative pronouns.
| Case | Basic demonstratives | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| а | мо | мы | |||||||||||
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | ||||||||
| Singular | Absolutive | ар | aːr | мор | mor | мыр | mər | ||||||
| Ergative | ащ | aːɕ | мощ | moɕ | мыщ | məɕ | |||||||
| Instrumental | ащкӏэ | aːɕt͡ʃʼa | мощкӏэ | moɕt͡ʃʼa | мыщкӏэ | məɕt͡ʃʼa | |||||||
| Adverbial | арэу | aːraw | морэу | moraw | мырэу | məraw | |||||||
| Plural | Absolutive | ахэр | aːxar | мохэр | moxar | мыхэр | məxar | ||||||
| Ergative | ахэмэ | aːxama | мохэмэ | moxama | мыхэмэ | məxama | |||||||
| Instrumental | ахэмкӏэ | aːxamt͡ʃʼa | мохэмкӏэ | moxamt͡ʃʼa | мыхэмкӏэ | məxamt͡ʃʼa | |||||||
| Adverbial | ахэрэу | aːxaraw | мохэрэу | moxaraw | мыхэрэу | məxaraw | |||||||
мор о уимашинэ [mor wa wəjmaːʃina] this (abs.) you your car "That is your car."
ащ къысиӏуагъэр мыщ есӏотэжьыгъ [aːɕ qəsəjʔʷaːʁar məɕ qəjnə] that (erg.) the thing (s)he told me this (erg.) I told him back "I told this person the things that person told me."
ахэмкӏэ мы джанэу мощ щыгъэр дахэ [aːxamt͡ʃʼa mə d͡ʒaːnaw moɕ ɕəʁər daːxa] for them (ins.) this shirt (adv.) that (erg.) the thing (s)he is wearing beautiful "According to them, the shirt this person is wearing is beautiful."
The demonstrative pronouns джэ "that", дымы "this over here" and дымо "that over there" also exist in Circassian. There is a contradistinction between 'дымы' and 'дымо' on how far the referred object is. The pronoun 'джэ' is also neutral on this matter.
| Case | Other demonstratives | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| дымо | дымы | джэ | |||||||||||
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | ||||||||
| Singular | Absolutive | дымор | dəmor | дымыр | dəmər | джэр | d͡ʒar | ||||||
| Ergative | дымощ | dəmoɕ | дымыщ | dəməɕ | джэщ | d͡ʒaɕ | |||||||
| Instrumental | дымощкӏэ | dəmoɕt͡ʃʼa | дымыщкӏэ | dəməɕt͡ʃʼa | джэщкӏэ | d͡ʒaɕt͡ʃʼa | |||||||
| Adverbial | дыморэу | dəmoraw | дымырэу | dəməraw | джэрэу | d͡ʒaraw | |||||||
| Plural | Absolutive | дымохэр | dəmoxar | дымыхэр | dəməxar | джэхэр | d͡ʒaxar | ||||||
| Ergative | дымохэмэ | dəmoxama | дымыхэмэ | dəməxama | джэхэмэ | d͡ʒaxama | |||||||
| Instrumental | дымохэмкӏэ | dəmoxamt͡ʃʼa | дымыхэмкӏэ | dəməxamt͡ʃʼa | джэхэмкӏэ | d͡ʒaxamt͡ʃʼa | |||||||
| Adverbial | дымохэрэу | dəmoxaraw | дымыхэрэу | dəməxaraw | джэхэрэу | d͡ʒaxaraw | |||||||
дымощ ицуакъэ ишъо олъэгъуа? [dəmoɕ jət͡sʷaːqa jəʃʷa waɬaʁʷaː] that over there (erg.) his shoe its color do you see it? "Do you see the color of that person's shoe over there?"
джэхэмэ садэгущыӏагъ [d͡ʒaxama saːdaɡʷəɕəʔaːʁ] those (erg.) I spoke to them "I spoke to them."
дымор кӏалэу къысэуагъэр [dəmor t͡ʃʼaːɮaw qəsawaːʁar] that over there (abs.) boy (adv.) the one that hit me "That is the boy that hit me over there."
Interrogative pronoun[edit]
The interrogative pronoun is тэ "which".
| Case | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | ||
| Singular | Absolutive | тэр | tar |
| Ergative | тэщ | taɕ | |
| Instrumental | тэщкӏэ | taɕt͡ʃʼa | |
| Adverbial | тэрэу | taraw | |
| Plural | Absolutive | тэхэр | taxar |
| Ergative | тэхэмэ | taxama | |
| Instrumental | тэхэмкӏэ | taxamt͡ʃʼa | |
| Adverbial | тэхэрэу | taxaraw |
Auxiliary interrogative words:
- хэт (хэта) "who".
- сыд (шъыд) "what/which".
- сыда (шъыда) "why".
- тыдэ "where".
- тхьэпш "how much".
- сыд фэдиз "how much".
- тэщтэу (сыдэущтэу) "how".
- тары "which".
- сыдигъу (шъыдгъо) "when".
- сыдкӏэ (шъыдкӏэ) "with what".
- сыд фэд? "what kind of?".
хэт къэкӏуагъэ? [xat qakʷʼaːʁa] who the person that came "Who came?"
сыд кӏалэм ыцӏэ? [səd t͡ʃʼaːɮam ət͡sʼa] what the boy (erg.) his name "What is the boy's name?"
непэ тыдэ ущыӏэщт? [najpa təda wɕəʔaɕt] today where you will be there "Today where will you be?"
Possessive pronouns[edit]
| Case | First-person | Second-person | Third-person | Reflexive third-person | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | ||
| Singular | Absolutive | сэсый | sasəj | оуй | wawəj | ий | jəj | ежьый | jaʑəj |
| Ergative | сэсый | sasəj | оуй | wawəj | ий | jəj | ежьый | jaʑəj | |
| Instrumental | сэсыемкӏэ | sasəjamt͡ʃʼa | оуемкӏэ | wawəjamt͡ʃʼa | иемкӏэ | jəjamt͡ʃʼa | ежьыемкӏэ | jaʑəjamt͡ʃʼa | |
| Adverbial | сэсыеу | sasəjaw | оуеу | wawəjaw | иеу | jəjaw | ежьыеу | jaʑəjaw | |
| Plural | Absolutive | тэтый | tatəj | шъошъуй | ʃʷaʃʷəj | яй | jaːj | ежьыяй | jaʑəjaːj |
| Ergative | тэтый | tatəj | шъошъуй | ʃʷaʃʷəj | яй | jaːj | ежьыяй | jaʑəjaːj | |
| Instrumental | тэтыемкӏэ | tatəjamt͡ʃʼa | шъошъуемкӏэ | ʃʷaʃʷəjamt͡ʃʼa | яемкӏэ | jaːjamt͡ʃʼa | ежьыяимкӏэ | jaʑəjaːjəmt͡ʃʼa | |
| Adverbial | тэтыеу | tatəjaw | шъошъуеу | ʃʷaʃʷəjaw | яеу | jaːjaw | ежьыяеу | jaʑəjaːjaw | |
мы джэгуалъэхэр сэсиех [mə d͡ʒaɡʷaːɬaxar sasəjax] this toys (abs.) they are mine "these toys are mine."
дымо унэ плъэгъурэ сэсый [dəmo wəna pɬaʁʷəra sasəj] that over there house what one you're seeing mine "That house you are seeing is mine."
мыр оуя ежья? [mər wawəjaː jaʑjaː] this (abs.) is it yours? is it his? "Is this yours or his?"
The nouns in Adyghe are different by their accessory signs[clarification needed], which are broken down into the natural attribute and the property attribute. The natural attribute is for body parts and kin relationships (e.g. 'son', 'sister'). All other words belong to the property attribute.
- Natural attributes are expressed with the following prefixes:
| Prefix | Meaning | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | |||
| Singular | 1st person | с- or сы- | /s-/ or /sə-/ | "my" |
| 2nd person | п- or у- | /p-/ or /w-/ | "your" | |
| 3rd person | ы- | /ə-/ | "his" | |
| Plural | 1st person | тэ- or т- | /ta-/ or /t-/ | "our" |
| 2nd person | шъо- or шъу- | /ʃʷa-/ or /ʃʷə-/ | "your" | |
| 3rd person | a- | /aː-/ | "their" | |
ышынахьыкӏэ ицӏэ Аслъан [əʃənaːħət͡ʃʼa jət͡sʼa aːsɬaːn] his younger brother his name Aslan "His younger brother's name is Aslan."
сэ слъакъо мэузы [sa sɬaːqʷa mawzə] I my leg it is hurting "my leg hurts."
- Property attributes are expressed by a different set of prefixes:
| Prefix | Meaning | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | |||
| Singular | 1st person | си- | /səj-/ | "my" |
| 2nd person | уи- | /wəj-/ | "your" | |
| 3rd person | и- | /jə-/ | "his" | |
| Plural | 1st person | ти- | /təj-/ | "our" |
| 2nd person | шъуи- | /ʃʷəj-/ | "your" | |
| 3rd person | я- | /jaː-/ | "their" | |
сэ сицӏэ Аслъан [sa səjt͡sʼa aːsɬaːn] I my name Aslan "My name is Aslan."
сэ сиунэ ишъо фыжьы [sa səjwəna jəʃʷa fəʑə] I my house its color white "The color of my house is white."
яджанэхэр нахь дахэх уиджанэхэмэ [jaːd͡ʒaːnaxar naːħ daːxax wəjd͡ʒaːnaxama] their clothes (abs.) more beautiful (plural) your clothes (erg.) "Their clothes are more beautiful than yours."
Indefinite pronoun[edit]
In Adyghe whole one - зыгорэ.[clarification needed] Serves for indication of all notions corresponding to English words "someone", "something", "someone", "something", "sometime", "somewhere", etc.
Changes either as noun – in number and in cases:
| Case | Singular form | Plural form | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | |
| Absolutive | зыгорэ | zəɡʷara | зыгорэхэр | zəɡʷaraxar |
| Ergative | зыгорэм | zəɡʷaram | зыгорэхэмэ | zəɡʷaraxama |
| Instrumental | зыгорэ(м)кӏэ | zəɡʷara(m)t͡ʃʼa | зыгорэхэ(м)кӏэ | zəɡʷaraxa(m)t͡ʃʼa |
| Adverbial | зыгорэу | zəɡʷaraw | зыгорэхэу | zəɡʷaraxaw |
зыгорэ пчъэм къытеуагъ [zəɡʷara pt͡ʂam qətajwaːʁ] someone (abs.) door (erg.) (s)he knocked it "someone has knocked the door."
кӏалэ горэм бэнанэр ешхы [t͡ʃʼaːɮa ɡʷaram banaːna jaʃxə] some boy (erg.) the banana (abs.) he eats "some boy is eating the banana"
пшъэшъэ дахэ горэм мыр къысиӏуагъ [pʂaʂa daːxa ɡʷaram mər qəsiʔʷaːʁ] girl some pretty (erg.) this he/she told me "some pretty girl told me this"
Circassian adherent pronouns:
- зыр, зым "one"
- зыхэр, зыхэм "some"
- зыгорэ, зыгорэм "someone, something"
- тӏур, тӏум "both"
- тэдрэзым "each one"
- нэмыкӏыр "other"
- ежь "self"
- зэкӏэ "whole, all"
- пстэури "everyone"
- шъхьадж "every"
- ышъхьэкӏэ "self personally"
- хэти, хэтрэ "everyone", "each"
- сыди, сыдрэ "everything", "each"
- тыди, тыдэкӏи "everywhere"
- зи, зыми "no one" (verb has to be negative)
- зыгорэп "nothing" (verb has to be negative)
- зыгори, зыгорэми "nobody, no one" (verb has to be negative)
Examples:
- Хэти зышъхьамысыжьэу 1оф ыш1эн фае "Everyone must work hard".
- Сыдрэ 1офри дэгъу, угу къыбде1эу бгъэцак1эмэ "Each job is good if it is made with soul".
- Зыгори чэщдэсым къэкӏощтэп "Nobody will come to the party".
- Пстэури экзамыным феджэх "Everyone is studying for the exam".
- Ышъхьэкӏэ къыкӏонэу зэрэфамые къыӏуагъ "He said himself that he doesn't want to come".
- Зыр къещхымэ унэм икӏыщтэп "One will not go out of the house if it is raining".
- Зыхэр чэщым къыдэкӏыщтых, зыхэр къыдэкӏыщтыхэп "Some will go out in the night, some won't".
Indicatory pronouns[edit]
| Pronoun | Cyrillic | IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| сэ | сэры | sarə | it is me |
| о | оры | warə | it is you |
| ежь | ежьыр | jaʑər | it is him |
| тэ | тэры | tarə | it is us |
| шъо | шъоры | ʃʷarə | it is you (plural) |
| ежьхэ | ежьхэр | jaʑəxar | it is them |
| Determiner | Cyrillic | IPA | Meaning |
| а | ары | aːrə | that one indeed |
| джэ | джары | d͡ʒaːrə | exactly that one indeed |
| мо | моры | morə | that one |
| дыо | дыуары | dəwaːrə | that one over there |
| дымы | дымары | dəmaːrə | this one over here |
| мы | мары | maːrə | this one |
| тэ | тары | taːrə | which one |
сэры къэшъугъотын фае [sarə qaʃʷəʁʷatən faːja] it is me the one you must find "the one you must find is me."
ары къысиIуагъэ [aːrə qəsiʔʷaːʁa] that is the thing he told me "that is what he told me"
дыморы кIалэу сфэсIуагъэ [dəmorə t͡ʃaːlaw səfasʔʷaːʁa] that is over there boy (adv.) the thing i talked about "here is the boy i talked about"
References[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
- Аркадьев, П. М.; Ландер, Ю. А.; Летучий, А. Б.; Сумбатова, Н. Р.; Тестелец, Я. Г. Введение. Основные сведения об адыгейском языке в кн.: "Аспекты полисинтетизма: очерки по грамматике адыгейского языка" под ред.: П. М. Аркадьев, А. Б. Летучий, Н. Р. Сумбатова, Я. Г. Тестелец. Москва: РГГУ, 2009 (Arkadiev, P. M.; Lander, Yu. A.; Letuchiy, A. B.; Sumbatova, N. R.; Testelets, Ya. G.
- Introduction. Basic information about Adyghe language in "Aspects of polysyntheticity: studies on Adyghe grammar" edited by: P. M. Arkadiev, A. B. Letuchiy, N. R. Sumbatova, Ya. G. Testelets. Moscow, RGGU, 2009) (in Russian) ISBN 978-5-7281-1075-0