Table Of ContentA M H A R I C
SERGE OBOLENSKY
DEBEBOW ZELELIE MULUGETA ANDUALEM
FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
1964
E P A R T M E NT OF S T AT
AMHARIC
FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE
BASIC COURSE SERIES
Edited by
CARLETON T. HODGE
PREFACE
This volume is the first of a twO'Volume Basic Course in Amharic, and contains
Units 1-50 of the course. The second volume includes Units 51-60, an introduction to
the writing system, a Reader, and a Glossary.
Amharic, the official language of the Ethiopian Empire, is spoken natively by per
haps six million people in a small but populous area of the country which includes the
capital, Addis Ababa. A member of the Southern Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic
family of languages, Amharic is steadily gaining importance as it picks up additional
speakers through the spread of communications and education within Ethiopia.
The linguist in charge of the entire project has been Serge Obolensky, with the
assistance of Mr. Debebow Selelie and Mr. Mulugeta Andualem. The Amharic script in
the second volume is the work of Mr. Zelelie. Valuable suggestions received from Pro
fessor Wolf Leslau during the beginning stages of the work are gratefully acknowledged.
Howard E. Sollenberger, Dean
School of Language and Area Studies
Foreign Service Institute
Department of State
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface * ill
Introduction xv^
Unit 1
Symbols used 1
Basic Sentences 2
Note 1.1 Transcription used 3
1.2 Vowels 1|
1.3 Consonants 7
1.3.1 Plain Consonants 7
1.3.2 G-lottalized Consonants 9
Drills 9
Unit 2
Basic Sentences 12
Note 2.1 Masculine Definite Suffix /-u~-w/ 13
2.2 'and' /-(i)nna/ li+
Drills 15
Unit 3
Basic Sentences 19
Note 3.1 Independent Pronouns 22
3.2 Suffix Pronouns 23
3.2.1 Verb Suffix Pronouns 23
3.3 Loss of Vowels 21).
3.I4. /w/ and /y/ glides 21+
3.5 Verb 'be' 25
3.6 Formation of Plural 25
3.7 Transitional Vowel /i/ 26
Drills 27
Unit k
Basic Sentences 29
Note l+.l Noun Suffix Pronouns 31
I4..2 Amharic equivalents of 'have' and 'have not' ... 32
i|.3 Feminine Definite Suffix /-wa~-(y)itu~-(y)itwa/. 33
k.k Definite Suffix on Modifier 3h
Suffix /-(i)n/-Specific Direct Object 35
1+.6 Preposition 35
1+.6.1 Preposition /b(o)-/ and /b9st(o)-/ 35
Drills 36
Unit 5
Basic Sentences 1+3
Note £.1 Verbi Perfective 1+6
5.2 'have' and 'have not' with feminine object. 1+9
5.3 Verb Suffix Pronouns with Perfective 1+9
5.1+ Verb Suffix Pronouns used in apposition ... 51
5.5 Prepositions /k(a)~/, /isk(a)-/ and /1(e)-/ 51
5.5.1 /k(e)-/ 'from' 52
5«5«2 /isk(g)-/ and /iskCe)-...dires/ 'up to',
'to' 52
5.5.3 /l(o)-/ 'for', 'to' 52
5.6 Postpositions /wisT/ and /lay/ combined
with prefixes /b(e)-/ or /i-/ 52
5.7 Suffixes /-iyye/ and /-iyyo/ to nouns 53
5.7.1 Definite Suffixes /-iyyew/ and /iyyewa/ ... 53
5.8 Numerals; Ordinals 53
Drills 51+
Narrative 55
Unit 6
Basic Sentences 57
Note 6.1 Relational Prefix /y(©)-/ 59
6.2 Verbi Infinitive 60
6.3 Verbs Imperfective 6l
6.1+ Verb Classification 63
6.1+.1 Regular Three-Radical Verbs 63
6.1+.2 Regular Two-Radical Verbs 65
6.5 Verb* Notation 65
6.6 Postposition /gar~gara/ combined with pre
fix /kU)-/ 65
6.7 Use of /k(o)-...bsfit/ and /k(e)-/...
bohwala/ 66
Drills 66
Narrative 69
Unit 7
Basic Sentences 71
Note 7.1 Verb Suffix Pronouns with Imperfective .... 73
7.2 Equivalents of 'had' and 'had not' 77
Drills 77
Narrative 80
Unit 8
Basic Sentences 8l
Note 8.1 Time 82
8.2 Suffix /-(i)m/ 8i|
8.3 Suffix /-(i)ss/ 81+
Drills Qk
Narrative 88
Unit 9
Basic Sentences 89
Note 9.1 Imperfective forms connected by /-(i)nna/ .... 92
9.2 Negative Perfective 92
9.3 Short Imperfective 93
9.i| Negative Imperfective 95
9.5 Negative Infinitive 99
Drills 100
Narrative • • • • 103
Unit 10
Basic Sentences 105
Note 10.1 Relational Affixes to Verbs 107
10.1.1 Relational Affix /yU)-- yemmd)-/ in Relative
Constructions 107
10.2 Affix /ind(e)-/ 110
10.2.1 /mdU)-/ 'like', etc 110
10.2.2 /mdU)-. . .yalle/ 'such as', etc Ill
10.2.3 /md(a)-/ 'as soon as ' Ill
10.2.Ij. /md(e)-/ with Relative Constructions 'that'.. Ill
Drills . .. 112
Narrative 118
Unit 11
Basic Sentences 120
Note 1 1 .1 Verb: Regular Two-Radical Verbs m /-&/ 121
11.2 Verbt G-erund ^ 122
11.3 Verb: Present Perfect 126
ll.il Verb: Past Perfect 127
11.5 Verbi Imperfect (Past) 128
Drills 129
Narrative 132
Unit 12
Basic Sentences 133
Note 12.1 Telling Time 136-
12.2 Verbi Jussive 136
12.3 Verb* Imperative ll+O
12.1+ Relational Affix /iyy(e)-/ with nouns 11+1+
12.5 Relational Affix /iyy(e)-/ with verbs 11+1+
12.6 Relational Affix /s (i)-/ li+5
12.7 /abro/ 'both', 'together' ll+7
Drills 11+8
Narrative 153
Unit 13
Basic Sentences 155
Note 13.1 Relational Affixes /l(i)-/ and /-(i)ll(i)
(I)11G-/ 158
13.1.-1 /id)-/ with Short Imperfectlve 159
13.1.2 /id)-/ with Short Imperf ective plus /now/ or 159
/nebber/ 159
13.1.3 /-(i)ll(i) (i)lle-/ 159
13.2 Relational Affixes /isk(i)-/ and /isk(e)-/ ... 160
13.2.1 /isk(e)-/ with Relative Constructions 161
Drills 161
Narrative 163
Unit 11+
Basic Sentences 165
Note ll+.l Demonstrative Pronouns 168
11+.2 Noun: Gender 169
11+.3.1 Relational Affix /b(i)-/ 'if 172
11+.3.2 Relational Affix /b(i)-/ 'because' 175
11+.1+ Suffix /-(i)bb(i)V 176
11+.5 Prefix /b(e)-/ with Relative Clauses 178
11+.5.1 /b(o) glze/ 178
11+.5.2 /b(e) KuTir/ 178
•H4..6 /b(e) mikniyat/ 179
11+.7 Relational Affix /sil(e)-~ silsmmd)-/ 179
Drills 180
Narrative 186
Unit 15
Basic Sentences 188
Note 15.1 Verbt /a-/ verbs 189
vli
15.2 Verb: Causatives in /a-/ and /as-/ 190
15.2.1 Causative Verbs in /a-/ 191
15.2.2 Causative Verbs in /as-/ 191
15.3 Passive-Reflexive Verbs 191
l5.i| Classification and Notation 195
15.5 Relational Affix /k(o)-/ with Perfective .... 197
15.5.1 A(G)-/ 'if 197
15.5.2 /k(e)-/ 'since' 198
Drills 198
Narrative 205
Unit 16
Basic Sentences 206
Note 16.1 Relational Affix /mdd)-/ 208
16.2 Pronoun /ras-/ 'self 208
16.3 Regular Pour-Radical Verbs 209
16.i| Three-and Pour-Radical Verbs m /-o-/ 210
16.5 Verb: Noun of Agent 210
16.6 Verb: Noun of Instrument 212
16.7 Use of /wsyim/ and /wsyiss/ 'or' 213
Drills 21i|
Narrative 215
Unit 17
Basic Sentences
Note 17.1 Verb: Classification
Chart I Regular Three-Radical Verbs 222
Chart II Regular Three-Radical /a-/ Verbs 223
Chart III Regular Two-Radical Verbs m /-a/ 2Zl\.
Chart IV Regular T\tfo-Radical Verbs m /-&/ 225
Chart V Regular Four-Radical Verbs 226
Drills 227
Narrative 23 0
Unit 18
Basic Sentences 232
Note 18.1 Verbt Use of /yihonal/ 233
18.2 Use of /gsna/ 23i|
Drills 235
Narrative 239
Unit 19
Basic Sentences 21+0
Note 19.1 Comparative and Superlative 21+1
Drills 21+3
Narrative 21+5
Unit 20
Basic Sentences 21+7
Note 20.1 Verb Classification, Two-Radical Verbs, types
m©la2, m9lo2, m©le2 and m©l©2 21+8
Chart Vl/1 m©la2 250
Chart Vl/2 m©lo2 „ 25l
Chart Vl/3 ™8le2 251
Chart VI/1+ m©l©2 252
20.2 Verb: Impersonal Cbnstructions 252
20.3 Verb: Present Perfect of verbs denoting
'state' or 'condition' 253
Drills 255
Narrative 256
Unit 21
Basic Sentences 258
Drills 260
Narrative 26l
Unit 22
Basic Sentences 263
Drills 265
Narrative 267
Unit 23
Basic Sentences 268
Note 23.1 Plural Affix /inn(o)-/ 270
23.2 Question Words 271
23.2.1 /man/ 271
23.2.2 /mm/ or /mindin/ 273
23.2.3 /y©t/ 271+
23.2.1+ /yetu/, /yetiflnaw/ and /manninnaw/ 271+
23.3 /manninnawim/ or /mannacc©wim/ 275
23.)+ /mannim/ and /minimm/ 275
23.5 /minimm/ with /md©-/ 276
Drills 277
Narrative 278
Unit 21+
Basic Sentences 280
Note 2i|.l Verb: Short form of /madrog/ 283
21+.2 Use of /giddeta/ with /allabb-/, /honQbb-/
and /nobberobb-/ 283
Drills 2Qk
Narrative 288
Unit 25
Basic Sentences 291
Note 25.1 Repetition and Reduplication 292
25.1.1 Repetition 293
25.1.2 Partial Reduplication 293
25.1.3 Complete Reduplication 29I4.
25.2 Use of /madrogiya/ 295
Drills 295
Narrative 297
Unit 26
Basic Sentences 300
Note 26.1 Suffix /-(i)nn9t/ 301
26.2 Verb 1 The use of /mGKnat/ 302
Drills 303
Narrative 307
Unit 27
Basic Sentences
Note 27.1 Suffix /-©/ m compound words 310
27.2 Plural after numerals 311
Drills 312
Narrative 313
Unit 28
Basic Sentences 315
Note 28.1 Verb: Hypothetical Conditional 317
28.2 Affix /ind(o)-/ with /alia-/ and /hone-/' 318
28.3 Impersonal Verbs 319
Drills 320
Narrative 321+
Unit 29
Basic Sentences 327
Note 29.1 Verb Classification Three-Radical Verbs in
/-a-/ 328
