JudsonGram2.htm
From Grammar of the Burmese Language, by A. Judson, American Baptist
Mission Press, Rangoon, 1883
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See also online in Wikisource: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Grammar_of_the_Burmese_Language 201212
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1. Nouns
{naam},
§047 , §048 , §049
, §050 , §051 ,
§052 ,
1.1.
Number : §053 , §054
,
1.2.
Gender : §055 , §056
1.3. Case : §057 , §058
,
1.3.1. Nominative : §059
,
§060
, §061 ,
1.3.2. Objective : §062
,
§063
,
1.3.3. Possessive : §064
,
1.3.4. Dative : §065
,
,
1.3.5. Causative : §066
,
,
1.3.6. Instrumentive : §067
1.3.7. Connective : §068
1.3.8. Locative : §069
1.3.9. Ablative : §070
2. Pronouns
{naam-sa:},
3. Adjectives,
{na-ma.wi.þé-þa.na.}
4. Verbs,
{kRi.ya} :
5. Adverbs,
{kRi.ya wi.þé-þa.na.}
6. Interjections.
{a-mé-ðait}
From Grammar of the Burmese Language, by A. Judson, 1883
(p14 cont)
§046. The Etymology of Burmese Grammar may be
exhibited under the six classes of:
1. Nouns
{naam},
2. Pronouns
{naam-sa:},
3. Adjectives,
{na-ma.wi.þé-þa.na.}
4. Verbs,
{kRi.ya} :
5. Adverbs,
{kRi.ya wi.þé-þa.na.}
6. Interjections.
{a-mé-ðait}
UKT 201217: The Bur-Myan terms are from the modern day ¤ MLC Burmese Grammar (in Bur-Myan) -
UKT 191006: I'm going through MLC grammar to help me with Lonsdale's. Available online from Wordpress.com. from
- https://whiteboylearningburmese.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/bg-mlc-1-1.pdf 200929 ,
See downloaded pdf files in TIL PDF libraries: HD-PDF-B and SD-PDF-B (link chk 191010)
1. bg-mlc-1-1. 2. bg-mlc-1-2. 3. bg-mlc-1-3. 4. bg-mlc-1-4. 5. bg-mlc-2-5. 6. bg-mlc-2-6.
1. bkp1. --- - 2. bkp2. --- -3. bkp3.--- 4. bkp4. -- 5. bkp5. ---6. bkp6.
Notice how the modern Burmese grammarians are introducing Pali terms into what they are calling "Official". Because of Pali terms and (unwittingly introduced) Sanskrit terms, I've to indicate Rhoticity in Romabama to handle BEPS.
§047. The usual division of nouns into common and proper obtains in the Burmese, as in all other languages.
§048. Under common nouns are included three kinds of derivatives ; the simple , the reduplicative , and the compound .
§049. Simple derivatives are mostly formed from verbal
roots *, by prefixing
{a.}, as
{a·lín:} light , from
{lín:} [ to shine ] to be light ; but in
composition the
is commonly dropped; thus
{a·sa} [more properly
{a·sa:a·sa} - belonging to male-female pair-of-word combination] food ,
from
{sa:} to eat , when combined with
{Ña.} evening , becomes
{Ña.sa} evening food , or supper .
*UKT 201125: The term verbal roots
{a·mric} is not commonly met in Bur-Myan grammar, an observation I've checked with my good old friend U (Dr.) Tun Tint of MLC. However, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_language 201125
"The basic word order of the Burmese language is SOV (subject-object-verb). Pronouns in Burmese vary according to the gender and status of the audience. Burmese is monosyllabic (i.e., every word is a root to which a particle but not another word may be prefixed). [54] Sentence structure determines syntactical relations and verbs are not conjugated. Instead they have particles suffixed to them. For example, the verb "to eat,"
§050. The same is true of all nouns, whose onset
initial is a syllable
{a.}; thus
{a·ræÑ} liquid liquor , when combined with
{pya:} a bee , becomes
{pya:ræÑ} honey ; and sometimes even when a syllable or word is added ;
thus
{a·raún} brightness , when followed by
{hkræÑ} a ray ,
{raún-hkræÑ} a ray of brightness .
(p14end-p15begin)
§051. Reduplicative derivatives are formed from nouns
of :
- one syllable, by prefixing
{a.} to the noun reduplicated, or from nouns of
- two syllables, the first being a syllabic
{a.}, by dropping the
in the second number of the reduplication ;
and such derivations imply generality or universality ; thus from
-
{præÑ} a country , is formed
{with the plural affix) many or all countries ; and for
-
{a.myo:} a race ,
, many or all races .
§052. Compound derivatives will be considered under the head of verbal nouns.
§053. Nouns have two numbers,
the singular and plural. The simple noun may be regarded as being the singular
number as
{lu} a man ; though the noun in its simple state, without any definite
adjunct, has frequently a generic meaning, as
man is mortal [UKT: Judson's translation is not quite right.]
§054. The plural is formed by affixing
{to.} (pronounced
{do.}) do , to the singular, as
{lu} a man ,
{lu-to.} men . The adjective
{mya:} is sometimes used instead of
{to.}, and sometimes both are combined, as
{lu-mya:} or
{lu-mya:to.} men .
§055. The Burmese language recognizes no grammatical or artificial gender [see my note below on grammatical gender], but that only which consists in distinction of the sexes, viz, the masculine and the feminine.
§056. The two genders are distinguished,
- sometimes by different words, as
{yauk~kya:} a man ,
{maim~ma.} a woman ;
- sometimes by regarding the simple noun as masculine , and affixing
{ma.} for feminine, as
{ra.hûn:} a priest (of Boodh),
{ra.hûn:ma.} a priestess ; and
- sometimes by suffixing
{hti:} [applied to despicable animal], or
{hpa.} [neither despicable nor respectable], or
{hpo} [respectable animal], for masculine, and
{ma.} for the feminine ;
{hkwé:hti:} a dog ,
{hkwé:ma.} a bitch ;
{krak-hpa.} a cock ,
{krak-ma.} a hen ;
{gnûn:hpo} a gander ,
{gnûn:ma.}
UKT 201218: Judson's example
- 1.
- 2. there are no female
§057. The relations of nouns expressed in most languages by prepositions or inflections, are in the Burmese language expressed (p15end-p16begin) by particles affixed to the noun, without any inflection of the noun itself.
§058. The noun affixes may be distributed into nine
classes, viz., the
1. Nominative,
2. Objective,
3. Possessive,
4. Dative,
5. Causative,
6. Instrumentative,
7. Connective,
8. Locative, and the
9. Ablative
§059.
{þæÑ} is the most common nominative affix,
denoting the agent or subject of the verb ; as
{hto þu-þæÑ kaún:éi.} that man is good ;
but in simple sentences, it is most commonly
omitted ; as
{þu kaún:þæÑ} he is good ; also in participial
clauses,
{hsa.ra prau:þau: sa.ka:} the words which the
teacher speaks ,
§060.
{ka:},
{þæÑ-ka:}, and
(by abbreviation
),
are also nominative affixes, denoting the agent or subject, but rather more
definitive or distinctive than
, and from the latter quality, are much used in adversative clauses, as
, my conduct is good; his conduct is not good. [UKT ¶]
UKT 201219: The above sentence is simply wrong. Our reverend should have used
instead of
instead of
These affixes are frequently equivalent to as to , concerning ,
in regard to , a substantive verb being understood, as
, as to the reason , (it is as follows ).
§061.
{ka:} is sometimes used emphatically after another noun affix, as
can you indeed bear the beating? Also repeated after successive
clauses intended to be set adversatively, as
on the land it is easy to see; in the water (we) cannot see. In such
cases
{ka:} is used adverbially.
§062.
{ko} is the true objective affix, denoting the object on which an action
terminates ; as
to drink water ; sometimes, with some latitude of application, it denotes
the object to which a thing is given ; as
give to me ; or the object
(p16end-p17begin)
to
which motion is directed ; as
go to the house ! [ Go home! ] or the material out of
which a thing is made ; as
an implement made of gold . In the first and most proper application, it
is frequently understood; as
for
give water .
§063.
{þo.} is an objective affix, denoting the object towards which or unto which
motion is directed, as
go to the house ! though frequently, in colloquial style, it is
superceded by
{ko} as above. Various applications may seem to require the aid of
various prepositions in English, as
to deliver into (his) hand ,
to follow (his) will , or according to (his) will ,
to arrive at the town ; but in all such cases, it will be evident, on a
little reflection, that the legitimate import of this affix is preserved.
§064.
{É.} is the possessive affix denoting possession, as
the life of man . This affix is very frequently understood; in which case
the preceding syllable [word] if capable of taking [the Dot-below
{auk mric}] the short, light accent , is pronounced accordingly ; thus
a father's father if written
is pronounced as if written
§065.
is the proper dative affix, equivalent in various applications to to or
per in English, as
give to me . It is sometimes used for the objective affix
{ko} .
{gnha} for, in order to ,
is used only with
[Judson's
needs a dot-below] desire ,
as
for food , or for the sake of food ; or
- with verbals in
{hkrín:}, as
,
or
, in order to eating ; or
- with verbs used substantively, as
,
or
in order to eat . (See under verbal nouns §124 , and verbs used
substantively §122.) (p17end-p18begin)
§066.
{kraún.} because, on account of , from
{a·kraún:} a cause or reason , is used with simple nouns, as
{a·pric.kraún.} because of the fault ; but its great use is in connection
with verbs used substantively as
because of the fault . (See verbs used substantively §122 .)
{mo.} is
equivalent to
{kraún.} but seldom used in writing.
UKT201212: Romabama used for BEPS has an issue with
{shi.þau:}.
§067.
{hprín.}, by , with , by means of ,
to hold with the hand , is the proper instrumentive affix; but it is more
frequently superceded by the connective affix
{nhín.} as
,
of the same import; or used with the secondary noun
{a:}, in the same sense of means , literally strength . (See
secondary nouns §074 .)
§068. The connective affix
{nhín.} signifies:
1st., with , together with , as
, to follow with the man . In this sense it is much used with the
secondary nouns
{a·tu},
{a·Ñi}, &c. (See secondary nouns §074 . )
2nd. It supplies the place of the copulative conjunction
and between nouns, as
to seek gold and silver .
UKT 201222: Since
3rd. It is frequently used for the instrumentive affix
{hprín.} as stated above.
§069.
{twín},
{nhEIk} [archaic
{nheik} ],
{mha}, are locative affixes, signifying in , at , among ,
as
,
,
, in the house . They sometimes have a possessive import, as
, the goods with me (or my goods) are many .
{mha}, like the nominative affixes
,
,
&c., frequently signifies as to , concerning , in regard to
.
{weiý} [bookmark: wei2 ] signifies in , but is commonly restricted
to nouns of place and time .
(p18end-p19begin)
§070. The ablative affix
{mha.} signifies from , out of , separate from , besides
, as
UKT 201218: When I , as a child, was learning to write both Bur-Myan and Eng-Latin, I had - like all others in Myanmarpré - difficulty in comprehending the pronouns <he>, <she>, and <it> because Burmese language has no grammatical gender. I can now understand how the English speakers would feel uncomfortable when they try to learn the Burmese language.
From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_gender 201218
In linguistics, grammatical gender is a specific form of noun class system in which the division of noun classes forms an agreement system with another aspect of the language, such as adjectives, articles, pronouns, or verbs. Whereas some authors use the term "grammatical gender" as a synonym of "noun class", others use different definitions for each; many authors prefer "noun classes" when none of the inflections in a language relate to sex. Gender system is used in approximately one quarter of the world's languages. In these languages, most or all nouns inherently carry one value of the grammatical category called gender; [1] the values present in a given language (of which there are usually two or three) are called the genders of that language. According to one definition: "Genders are classes of nouns reflected in the behaviour of associated words." [2] [3] [4] .
Go back grammatical-gender-note-b
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