-ty / -ndy

Places Full of Something: -ty

Level 5

-ty makes a collective noun for a place where something grows or gathers.

How It Works

The ending -ty names a group of one thing, usually a place where there is a lot of it. It is used for plants, minerals and other things, and it is stressed. After a nasal word it changes to -ndy.

NounPlace
pakova “banana”pakovaty “banana grove”
avati “corn”avatity “cornfield”
yva “fruit”yvaty “orchard”
yvoty “flower”yvotyty “garden, park”
ñana “weed”ñanandy “scrubland”
petỹ “tobacco”petỹndy “tobacco field”

The ending also works on things that are not plants. Ao “clothes” gives aoty “a set of clothes”, and kuaa “know” gives kuaaty “science”.

The name of the Guarani alphabet, achegety, follows the same pattern: a, che and ge, the first three letters, plus -ty for “the set”.

Examples (4)

  1. Ápe oĩ avatity.

    There is a cornfield here.

    Avatity “cornfield” is avati “corn” plus -ty.

  2. Oĩpa pakovaty?

    Is there a banana grove?

    Pakovaty “banana grove” is pakova plus -ty. The ending -pa makes it a question.

  3. Ko yvaty iporã.

    This orchard is nice.

    Yvaty “orchard” is yva “fruit” plus -ty.

  4. Guarani achegety oguereko 33 taipu.

    The Guarani alphabet has 33 letters.

    Achegety is the name of the alphabet: a, che and ge, the first three letters, plus -ty. Taipu is the Academy word for “letter”.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -ty after a nasal word.

    Ápe oĩ petỹty.
    Ápe oĩ petỹndy.

    Petỹ is a nasal word, so the ending turns into -ndy.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-ty / -ndyLevel 5Places Full of Something: -ty

Learn This First

The ending -ty names a place full of plants and turns into -ndy after a nasal word, so the nasal forms of endings come first.

Words in This Pattern

-ty