Assamese grammar ( Oxömia byakoron) is the study of the morphology and syntax of Assamese, an Indo-European language spoken in Northeast India, primarily in the state of Assam. It has long served as a lingua franca in parts of Northeast India."Axomiya is the major language spoken in Assam, and serves almost as a lingua franca among the different speech communities in the whole area." Although Assamese is typically written in the Assamese script, a romanization is also used here to suggest the pronunciation. Since there are many varieties of Assamese, the standard variety is used here.
Overview
The Assamese language has the following characteristic morphological features: Gender and number are not grammatically marked. There is a lexical distinction of gender in the third person pronoun. Transitive verbs are distinguished from intransitive. The agentive case is overtly marked as distinct from the accusative. Kinship nouns are inflected for personal pronominal possession. Adverbs can be derived from the verb roots. A passive construction may be employed idiomatically.
Pronouns Personal pronouns Sources:
Assamese personal pronouns are somewhat similar to English pronouns, having different words for first, second, and third person, and also for singular and plural (unlike for verbs, below). However, Assamese has two different third-person pronouns for proximity. The first, called proximal, are used for someone who is present in the discussion, and the second, called distal, are for those who are nearby or at a distance but not present in the discussion. Gendered pronouns are present only in third person non-honorific. Additionally, each of the second- and third-person pronouns have different forms for the familiar and polite forms; the second person also has a "very familiar" form (sometimes called "despective"). It may be noted that the "very familiar" form is used when addressing particularly close friends or family as well as for addressing subordinates, or in abusive language.
In the following tables, the abbreviations used are as follows:
m. = masculine,
f. = feminine,
ng. = no specific gender,
— = same as the absolutive forms
The absolutive and ergative/nominative cases are used for pronouns that are the subject of the sentence, such as "I already did that" or "Will you go there?". The ergative/nominative case is used when the verb in a sentence is transitive. If intransitive then the absolutive forms are used. The oblique forms are used when other case suffixes are added, similar to English hi- in hi-, hi-s. See Nouns for details on cases. + Personal pronouns absolutive ergative oblique objective genitive "of" instrumental "by" dative "for" locative "in" 1st person singular মই (moi, I) — মো- (mü-) মোক (mük) মোৰ (mür) মোৰে (müre) মোলৈ (müloi) মোত (müt) plural আমি (ami, we) — আমা- (ama-) আমাক (amak) আমাৰ (amar) আমাৰে (amare) আমালৈ (amaloi) আমাত (amat) 2nd person sg. inferior তই (toi, you) — তো- (tü-) তোক (tük) তোৰ (tür) তোৰে (türe) তোলৈ (tüloi) তোত (tüt) very familiar familiar তুমি (tumi, you) — তোমা- (tüma-) তোমাক- (tümak) তোমাৰ (tümar) তোমাৰে (tümare) তোমালৈ (tümaloi) তোমাত (tümat) honorific আপুনি (apuni, you) — আপোনা- (apüna-) আপোনাক (apünak) আপোনাৰ (apünar) আপোনাৰে (apünare) আপোনালৈ (apünaloi) আপোনাত (apünat) pl. inferior তহঁত (tohõt, you) তহঁতে (tohõte) — তহঁতক (tohõtok) তহঁতৰ (tohõtor) তহঁতৰে (tohõtore) তহঁতলৈ (tohõtoloi) তহঁতত (tohõtot) very familiar familiar তোমালোক (tümalük, you) তোমালোকে (tümalüke) — তোমালোকক (tümalükok) তোমালোকৰ (tümalükor) তোমালোকৰে (tümalükore) তোমালোকলৈ (tümalükoloi) তোমালোকত (tümalükot) honorific আপোনালোক (apünalük, you) আপোনালোকে (apünalüke) — আপোনালোকক (apünalükok) আপোনালোকৰ (apünalükor) আপোনালোকৰে (apünalükore) আপোনালোকলৈ (apünalükoloi) আপোনালোকত (apünalükot) 3rd person sg. non hon. prox. m. ই (i, he) — ইয়া- (ia-) ইয়াক (iak) ইয়াৰ (iar) ইয়াৰে (iare) ইয়ালৈ (ialoi) ইয়াত (iat) f. এই (ëi, she) — — এইক (ëik) এইৰ (ëir) এইৰে (ëire) এইলৈ (ëiloei) এইত (ëit) dist. m. সি (xi, he) — তা- (ta-) তাক (tak) তাৰ (tar) তাৰে (tare) তালৈ (taloi) তাত (tat) f. তাই (tai, she) — — তাইক (taik) তাইৰ (tair) তাইৰে (taire) তাইলৈ (tailotai) তাইত (tait) honr. proximal এওঁ (eü̃)/এখেত (ekhet) (he/she) —/এখেতে (ekhete) — এওঁক (eü̃k)/এখেতক (ekhetok) এওঁৰ (eü̃r)/এখেতৰ (ekhetor) এওঁৰে (eü̃re)/এখেতেৰে (ekhetere) এওঁলৈ (eü̃loi)/এখেতলৈ (ekhetoloi) এওঁত (eü̃t)/এখেতত (ekhetot) distal তেওঁ (teü̃)/তেখেত (tekhet) (he/she) —/তেখেতে (tekhete) — তেওঁক (teü̃k)/তেখেতক (tekhetok) তেওঁৰ (teü̃r)/তেখেতৰ (tekhetor) তেওঁৰে (teü̃re)/তেখেতেৰে (tekhetere) তেওঁলৈ (teü̃loi)/তেখেতলৈ (tekhetoloi) তেওঁত (teü̃t)/তেখেতত (tekhetot) pl. non hon. proximal ng. ইহঁত (ihõt, they) ইহঁতে (ihõte) — ইহঁতক (ihõtok) ইহঁতৰ (ihõtor) ইহঁতেৰে (ihõtere) ইহঁতলৈ (ihõtoloi) ইহঁতত (ihõtot) f. এইহঁত (ëihõt, they) এইহঁতে (ëihõte) — এইহঁতক (ëihõtok) এইহঁতৰ (ëihõtor) এইহঁতৰে (ëihõtore) এইহঁতলৈ (ëihõtoloi) এইহঁতত (ëihõtot) distal ng. সিহঁত (xihõt)/তাহঁত (tahõt) (they) সিহঁতে (xihõte)/তাহঁত (tahõte) — সিহঁতক (xihõtok)/তাহঁত (tahõtok) সিহঁতৰ (xihõtor)/তাহঁত (tahõtor) সিহঁতেৰে (xihõtere)/তাহঁতেৰে (tahõtere) সিহঁতলৈ (xihõtoloi)/তাহঁতলৈ (tahõtoloi) সিহঁতত (xihõtot)/তাহঁতত (tahõtot) f. তাইহঁত (taihõt, they) তাইহঁতে (taihõte) — তাইহঁতক (taihõtok) তাইহঁতৰ (taihõtor) তাইহঁতৰে (taihõtore) তাইহঁতলৈ (taihõtoloi) তাইহঁতত (taihõtot) honr. proximal এওঁলোক (eü̃lük)/এখেতসকল (ekhetxokol) (they) এওঁলোকে (eü̃lüke)/এখেতসকলে (ekhetxokole) — এওঁলোকক (eü̃lükok)/এখেতসকলক (ekhetxokolok) এওঁলোকৰ (eü̃lükor)/এখেতসকলৰ (ekhetxokolor) এওঁলোকৰে (eü̃lükore)/এখেতসকলেৰে (ekhetxokolere) এওঁলোকলৈ (eü̃lükoloi)/এখেতসকললৈ (ekhetxokololoi) এওঁলোকত (eü̃lükot)/এখেতসকলত (ekhetxokolot) distal তেওঁলোক (teü̃lük)/তেখেতসকল (tekhetxokol) (they) তেওঁলোকে (teü̃lüke)/তেখেতসকলে (tekhetxokole) — তেওঁলোকক (teü̃lükok)/তেখেতসকলক (tekhetxokolok) তেওঁলোকৰ (teü̃lükor)/তেখেতসকলৰ (tekhetxokolor) তেওঁলোকৰে (teü̃lükore)/তেখেতসকলেৰে (tekhetxokolere) তেওঁলোকলৈ (teü̃lükoloi)/তেখেতসকললৈ (tekhetxokololoi) তেওঁলোকত (teü̃lükot)/তেখেতসকলত (tekhetxokolot)
Notes:
Demonstratives Source:
The demonstrative pronouns share most of the characteristics with personal pronouns. They are different from the personal sub-class with regard to the feature of demonstration. The personal demonstratives are already given in the previous table (see 3rd person). Therefore only the common demonstratives are given here. Apart from the 2 types of pronounce for proximity found in 3rd person pronouns, the common demonstrative pronouns have a 3rd one, far distal.
× = no forms
— = same as absolutive
+ Common demonstrative pronouns relative distance from the speaker → proximal distal far distal ëia (this/these) xëia (that/those) xöua (that/those) ëi- (this/these) xëi- (that/those) xöu- (that/those) i (this/these) xi (that/those) xöu (that/those)
The common demonstratives ëia, xëia and xöua are absolute words. They are invariable and bear no formal distinction of number, gender and status. Their use is restricted to the subject and complement functions only. The rest of the common demonstratives are found forms. They can be used only after they are inflected for the determinative affixes (or words) that function as their classifier.
Nouns Classifiers
Assamese has a large collection of classifiers, which are used extensively for different kinds of objects, acquired from the Sino-Tibetan languages. A few examples of the most extensive and elaborate use of classifiers are given below: "zɔn" is used to signify a person, male with some amount of respect E.g., manuh-zɔn – "the man" "zɔni" (female) is used after a noun or pronoun to indicate human beings E.g., manuh-zɔni – "the woman" "zɔni" is also used to express the non-human feminine E.g., sɔɹai zɔni – "the bird", pɔɹuwa-zɔni – "the ant" "zɔna" and "gɔɹaki" are used to express high respect for both man and woman E.g., kɔbi-zɔna – "the poet", gʊxaɪ-zɔna – "the goddess", rastrapati-gɔɹaki – "the president", tiɹʊta-gɔɹaki – "the woman" "tʊ" has three forms: tʊ, ta, ti (a) tʊ: is used to specify something, although the case of someone, e.g., loɹa-tʊ – "the particular boy", is impolite (b) ta: is used only after numerals, e.g., ɛta, duta, tinita – "one, two, three" (c) ti: is the diminutive form, e.g., kesua-ti – "the infant, besides expressing more affection or attachment to "kɔsa", "mɔtʰa" and "taɹ" are used for things in bunches E.g., sabi-kɔsa – "the bunch of key", saul-mɔtʰa – "a handful of rice", suli-taɹi or suli kɔsa – "the bunch of hair" dal, dali, are used after nouns to indicate something long but round and solid E.g., bãʱ-dal – "the bamboo", katʰ-dal – "the piece of wood", bãʱ-dali – "the piece of bamboo" +Assamese Classifiers Classifier Referent Examples males (adult) manuh-zɔn (the man – honorific) females (women as well as animals) manuh-zɔni (the woman), sɔrai-zɔni (the bird) honorific kobi-zɔna (the poet), gʊxai-zɔna (the god/goddess) males and females (honorific) manuh-ɡɔɹaki (the woman), rastrɔpɔti-gɔɹaki (the president) inanimate objects or males of animals and men (impolite) manuh-tʊ (the man – diminutive), gɔɹu-tʊ (the cow) inanimate objects or infants kesua-ti (the baby) for counting numerals e-ta (count one), du-ta (count two) flat square or rectangular objects, big or small, long or short terrain like rivers and mountains small objects group of people, cattle; also for rain; cyclone breeze objects that are thin, flat, wide or narrow. flowers objects that are solid mass nouns bundles of objects smaller bundles of objects broomlike objects wick-like objects with earthen lamp or old style kerosene lamp used in Assam objects like trees and shrubs paper and leaf-like objects uncountable mass nouns and pronouns inanimate flexible/stiff or oblong objects; humans (pejorative) In Assamese, classifiers are generally used in the numeral + classifier + noun (e.g. ejon manuh 'one man') or the noun + numeral + classifier (e.g. manuh ejon 'one man') forms.
Nominalization
Most verbs can be converted into nouns by the addition of the suffix . For example, ('to eat') can be converted to khaon ('good eating').
Grammatical cases
Assamese has 8 grammatical cases:
Cases Suffix Example Absolutive none Ergative Note: The personal pronouns without a plural or other suffix are not marked. Accusative Genitive Dative Terminative Instrumental Locative
Verbs Negation process
Verbs in Assamese are negated by adding before the verb, with picking up the initial vowel of the verb. For example: 'do(es) not want' (1st, 2nd and 3rd persons) 'will not write' (1st person) 'will not nibble' (1st person) 'does not count' (3rd person) 'do not do' (2nd person)
Tense With consonant ending verb likh (write) and vowel ending verb kha (eat, drink, consume).
StemLikh (write)Kha (eat, drink, consume)GerundLikhakhüaCausativeLikhakhüaConjugativeLikhiKhai & KhaInfinitiveLikhiboKhaboGoalLikhibólóiKhabólóiTerminativeLikhibólóikeKhabólóikeAgentiveLikhü̃ta np/Likhwra mi/Likhwri fiKhawta np/Khawra mi/Khawri fiConverbLikhü̃teKhaü̃teProgressiveLikhü̃te likhü̃teKhaü̃te khaü̃teReasonLikhatKhüatLikhilotKhalotConditionalLikhileKhalePerfectiveLikhiKhaiHabitualLikhi likhiKhai khai
For different types of verbs.