12: Possession

As in other Semitic languages, possession in Ge’ez is typically indicated through a set of pronominal suffixes added directly on to the noun:

12.1: Here are all the possessive pronominal suffixes. Some of them have accusative forms which are indicated in the parenthesis: <X>

ቤትየ	betya	my house		ቤትነ <ቤተነ>	betna <betana>	our house
ቤትከ <ቤተከ>	betka <betaka>	your (m.) house		ቤትክሙ <ቤተክሙ>	betkəmu <betakəmu>	your (m. pl.) house
ቤትኪ <ቤተኪ>	betki <betaki>	your (f.) house		ቤትክን <ቤተክን>	betkən <betakən>	your (f. pl.) house
ቤቱ <ቤቶ>	Betu <beto>	his house		ቤቶሙ	betomu	their (m.) house
ቤታ	betā	her house		ቤቶን	beton	their (f.) house

12.2: Nouns that end in a vowel take a helping consonant -h- in all the 3^rd person possessions. For instance, with the word “ምንዳቤ” (məndābe =  anguish, suffering, affliction.) There are no distinct accusative forms for nouns that end in vowels:

ምንዳቤሁ	məndābehu	His anguish		ምንዳቤሆሙ	məndābehomu	Their (m.) anguish
ምንዳቤሃ	məndābeha	Her anguish		ምንዳቤሆን	məndābehon	Their (f.) anguish

12.3: The only exceptions are nouns that end in the vowel –i. In 2^nd person possessions, the accusative form replaces the -i with an -e:

ዝንቱ፡ጸሓፊከ፡ውእቱ።

Zəntu şaḥāfika wə’ətu

This is your scribe.

à

ረከብኩ፡ጸሓፌከ።

rakabku  şaḥāfeka

I found your scribe.

12.4: All plurals, both regular and broken, take the vowel –i(h)- before for all pronomial suffixes above (12.1). They have no distinct accusative forms:

ሊቃኒየ	liqāniya	my elders		ሊቃኒነ	liqānina	our elders
ነቢያቲከ	nabiyātika	your (m.) prophets		ነቢያቲክሙ	nabiyātikəmu	your (m. pl.) prophets
አህጉሪሃ	ahgurihā	her cities		አህጉሪሆን	ahgurihon	their (f. pl.) cities

12.5: Most biconsonantal nouns take the vowel –u(h)- before the pronominal suffixes above (12.1). In the accusative form, they vowel changes to –a(h)-.

አቡየ፡በቤትየ፡ውእቱ።	abuya babetya wə’ətu	My father is in my house.	à	ረእየኩ፡አባየ።	ra'yaku abaya	I saw my father.
በጽሐ፡እኁሁ።	başḥa əxuhu	His brother arrived.	à	መርሐ፡እኁየ፡እኋሁ።	marḥa əxuye  əxʷahu	My brother led his brother.

12.6: The preposition “la-” has a distinct set of pronominal suffixes:

ሎቱ	lotu	to him	ሎሙ	lomu	to them (m.)
ላቲ	lāti	to her	ሎን	lon	to them (f.)
ለከ	laka	to you (m.)	ለክሙ	lakəmu	to you all (m.)
ለኪ	laki	to you (f.)	ለክን	lakən	to you all (f.)
ሊተ	lita	to me	ለነ	lana	to us (m.)