-ta / -da / -sha
Feminine Definite Articles
Common suffixes are -ta and -da. Final l produces -sha; final o becomes a before -da.
How It Works
| Environment | Result |
|---|---|
| Many consonants | -ta |
| d, i, y, w, c, h, x, kh, q, ’ | -da; final d produces dd |
| o | o becomes a before -da |
| l | l disappears; bil → bisha |
| dh | Written -a with intense dh pronunciation |
Definiteness includes generic reference and does not establish tense. When the definite noun alone is an unfocused subject, suffix-final a becomes u; a following modifier can carry subject marking instead.
Regional gabadh and gabar produce gabadha and gabarta respectively. These are accepted alternatives, with suffix shapes appropriate to their final consonants. The cards are noun-phrase fragments: bisadda preserves dd, sheekada changes the final o of sheeko, and ee links the cat phrase's second modifier.
Examples (4)
- sariirta dheer
the long bed
Fragment with -ta.
- bisadda yar ee cad
the small white cat
Fragment preserving dd; ee links the additional adjective.
- sheekada cusub
the new story
Fragment showing sheeko-to-sheekada.
- bisha cusub
the new month
Fragment showing bil-to-bisha.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Use feminine noun gender before choosing the feminine definite article's attested allomorph.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice -ta / -da / -sha in Bubblegum
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