For autodidact students of Assamese, "a" is a word you have already been using since Lesson 1 without a lesson of its own. Assamese has no separate article. Where English says "a", Assamese says "one", এ- (e-), and joins to it the classifier that suits the noun, before the noun:
- এটা আম (eta am): a mango - এখন কিতাপ (ekhon kitap): a book - এজন মানুহ (ezon manuh): a man - এজনী ছোৱালী (ezoni süwali): a girl
This is the same classifier that makes "the" when it comes after the noun (Lesson 1): কিতাপখন, "the book"; এখন কিতাপ, "a book". The classifier is chosen by the kind of thing the noun names, and "a" therefore has as many forms as there are classifiers. The commonest are:
- এটা (eta): most things and animals, and boys. With এ- the general classifier -টো takes the form -টা - এখন (ekhon): flat, broad or large things: a book, a car, a letter, a village, a film - এজন (ezon): a man, spoken of politely - এজনী (ezoni): a woman or girl, and a female animal - এগৰাকী (egoraki): a person of either sex, spoken of with respect - এডাল (edal): a long thin thing: a stick, a bamboo, a pen - এজোপা (ezüpa): a tree or a plant
এ- is the short form of এক (ek), "one". In ordinary speech এ- is the form that stands before a classifier, and এক is used without one before units of measure, as in এক কেজি আলু, "a kilo of potatoes" (Lesson 3, 3.18). In the old tales, এক is also found alone before a noun: the tale in Section F begins এক মালিনী আছিল, "there was once a gardener's wife".
There are three things that English speakers do not expect.
First, since "a" means "one", it can stand without its noun: এটা দিয়ক (eta diyok), "give me one".
Second, words of time take এ- with no classifier: এদিন (edin), "one day"; এবাৰ (ebar), "once"; এমাহ (emah), "a month". You have met all three in earlier lessons.
Third, English puts "a" in many places where Assamese puts nothing. "My brother is a doctor" is মোৰ দাদা ডাক্তৰ, with no classifier; "twice a day" is দিনত দুবাৰ, "in the day two times"; and a thing spoken of in general, not one particular example of it, is a bare noun: মই চাহ খাওঁ, "I drink tea".
Script note: এটা is two letters. এ (e) is the full vowel letter, written at the start of a word or after another vowel; after a consonant the same vowel is the sign ে, written before its consonant, as in দেশ. টা is ট (t) with the vowel sign া (a). As Lesson 1 explained, ট is an alveolar /t/ in Assamese, as in English "top". Do not confuse টা (ta), the form after এ-, with টো (tü), the form after the noun.
Key Takeaways: - "A" is এ- (one) + classifier, before the noun: এটা আম, এখন কিতাপ, এজন মানুহ - The classifier is the same one that makes "the" after the noun; only -টো changes, to -টা - এক (ek) is used before units of measure: এক কেজি - এটা can stand alone: এটা দিয়ক, "give me one" - Words of time take এ- alone: এদিন, এবাৰ, এমাহ - No classifier for a profession after "is" (মোৰ দাদা ডাক্তৰ) or for things in general (মই চাহ খাওঁ)
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4.1a এটা one-CL আম mango
4.1b eta (E-ta) one-CL am (AM) mango
4.2a এখন one-CL কিতাপ book দিয়ক please-give
4.2b ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT kitap (KI-tap) book diyok (DI-yok) give-IMP.HON
4.3a এজন one-CL মানুহ man আহিছে has-come
4.3b ezon (E-zon) one-CL.MASC manuh (MA-nuh) man ahise (A-hi-se) come-PERF.3
4.4a এজনী one-CL ছোৱালী girl নাচি dancing আছে is
4.4b ezoni (E-zo-ni) one-CL.FEM süwali (SUU-wa-li) girl nasi (NA-si) dance-CONV ase (A-se) be-PRES.3
4.5a মোৰ my এটা one-CL কুকুৰ dog আছে is
4.5b mür (MUUR) I-GEN eta (E-ta) one-CL kukur (KU-kur) dog ase (A-se) be-PRES.3
4.6a নৈৰ of-river পাৰত on-bank এজোপা one-CL ডাঙৰ big গছ tree আছে is
4.6b noir (NOIR) river-GEN parot (PA-rot) bank-LOC ezüpa (E-zuu-pa) one-CL.PLANT dangor (DANG-or) big gos (GOS) tree ase (A-se) be-PRES.3
4.7a দেউতাই father বজাৰৰ of-market পৰা from এডাল one-CL বাঁহ bamboo আনিলে brought
4.7b deutai (DEU-tai) father-ERG bozaror (BO-za-ror) market-GEN pora (PO-ra) from edal (E-dal) one-CL.LONG bãh (BAANH) bamboo anile (A-ni-le) bring-PAST.3
4.8a মোৰ my দাদা elder-brother এজন one-CL ভাল good ডাক্তৰ doctor
4.8b mür (MUUR) I-GEN dada (DA-da) elder-brother ezon (E-zon) one-CL.MASC bhal (BHAL) good daktor (DAK-tor) doctor
4.9a মই I দিনত in-the-day এবাৰ once চাহ tea খাওঁ drink
4.9b moi (MOI) I dinot (DI-not) day-LOC ebar (E-bar) one-time sah (SAH) tea khaü̃ (KHA-un) eat-PRES.1
4.10a আমাক to-us এগৰাকী one-CL ডাক্তৰ doctor লাগে is-needed
4.10b amak (A-mak) we-ACC egoraki (E-go-ra-ki) one-CL.HON daktor (DAK-tor) doctor lage (LA-ge) be-needed-PRES.3
4.11a মই I কালি yesterday এখন one-CL পুৰণি old চাইকেল bicycle কিনিলোঁ bought
4.11b moi (MOI) I kali (KA-li) yesterday ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT puroni (PU-ro-ni) old saikel (SAI-kel) bicycle kinilü̃ (KI-ni-luun) buy-PAST.1
4.12a কালি yesterday কোনো some এজন one-CL মানুহ man তোমাক you বিচাৰি looking-for আহিছিল had-come
4.12b kali (KA-li) yesterday küno (KUU-no) some ezon (E-zon) one-CL.MASC manuh (MA-nuh) man tümak (TUU-mak) you-FAM-ACC bisari (BI-sa-ri) seek-CONV ahisil (A-hi-sil) come-PLUPERF.3
4.13a বহু many দিনৰ of-days আগতে before এজন one-CL বেপাৰীৰ of-merchant এজনী one-CL ধুনীয়া beautiful জীয়ৰী daughter আছিল was
4.13b bohu (BO-hu) many dinor (DI-nor) day-GEN agote (A-go-te) before-LOC-EMPH ezon (E-zon) one-CL.MASC beparir (BE-pa-rir) merchant-GEN ezoni (E-zo-ni) one-CL.FEM dhuniya (DHU-ni-ya) beautiful ziyori (ZI-yo-ri) daughter asil (A-sil) be-PAST.3
4.14a মোক to-me এটা one দিয়ক please-give দুটা two নালাগে are-not-needed
4.14b mük (MUUK) I-ACC eta (E-ta) one-CL diyok (DI-yok) give-IMP.HON duta (DU-ta) two-CL nalage (NA-la-ge) NEG-be-needed-PRES.3
4.15a আগতে in-the-past অসমৰ of-Assam প্ৰায় almost প্ৰতিটো every ঘৰতে in-house এখন one-CL তাঁতশাল loom আছিল was
4.15b agote (A-go-te) before-LOC-EMPH oxomor (O-xo-mor) Assam-GEN prai (PRAI) almost protitü (PRO-ti-tuu) each-CL ghorote (GHO-ro-te) house-LOC-EMPH ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT tãtxal (TAAN-xal) loom asil (A-sil) be-PAST.3
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4.1 এটা আম। (eta am) "A mango." 4.2 এখন কিতাপ দিয়ক। (ekhon kitap diyok) "Please give me a book." 4.3 এজন মানুহ আহিছে। (ezon manuh ahise) "A man has come." 4.4 এজনী ছোৱালী নাচি আছে। (ezoni süwali nasi ase) "A girl is dancing." 4.5 মোৰ এটা কুকুৰ আছে। (mür eta kukur ase) "I have a dog." 4.6 নৈৰ পাৰত এজোপা ডাঙৰ গছ আছে। (noir parot ezüpa dangor gos ase) "There is a big tree on the riverbank." 4.7 দেউতাই বজাৰৰ পৰা এডাল বাঁহ আনিলে। (deutai bozaror pora edal bãh anile) "Father brought a bamboo from the market." 4.8 মোৰ দাদা এজন ভাল ডাক্তৰ। (mür dada ezon bhal daktor) "My elder brother is a good doctor." 4.9 মই দিনত এবাৰ চাহ খাওঁ। (moi dinot ebar sah khaü̃) "I drink tea once a day." 4.10 আমাক এগৰাকী ডাক্তৰ লাগে। (amak egoraki daktor lage) "We need a doctor." 4.11 মই কালি এখন পুৰণি চাইকেল কিনিলোঁ। (moi kali ekhon puroni saikel kinilü̃) "Yesterday I bought an old bicycle." 4.12 কালি কোনো এজন মানুহ তোমাক বিচাৰি আহিছিল। (kali küno ezon manuh tümak bisari ahisil) "Yesterday a man came looking for you." 4.13 বহু দিনৰ আগতে এজন বেপাৰীৰ এজনী ধুনীয়া জীয়ৰী আছিল। (bohu dinor agote ezon beparir ezoni dhuniya ziyori asil) "Long ago a merchant had a beautiful daughter." 4.14 মোক এটা দিয়ক, দুটা নালাগে। (mük eta diyok, duta nalage) "Give me one, please; I don't need two." 4.15 আগতে অসমৰ প্ৰায় প্ৰতিটো ঘৰতে এখন তাঁতশাল আছিল। (agote oxomor prai protitü ghorote ekhon tãtxal asil) "In the past almost every house in Assam had a loom."
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4.1 এটা আম। 4.2 এখন কিতাপ দিয়ক। 4.3 এজন মানুহ আহিছে। 4.4 এজনী ছোৱালী নাচি আছে। 4.5 মোৰ এটা কুকুৰ আছে। 4.6 নৈৰ পাৰত এজোপা ডাঙৰ গছ আছে। 4.7 দেউতাই বজাৰৰ পৰা এডাল বাঁহ আনিলে। 4.8 মোৰ দাদা এজন ভাল ডাক্তৰ। 4.9 মই দিনত এবাৰ চাহ খাওঁ। 4.10 আমাক এগৰাকী ডাক্তৰ লাগে। 4.11 মই কালি এখন পুৰণি চাইকেল কিনিলোঁ। 4.12 কালি কোনো এজন মানুহ তোমাক বিচাৰি আহিছিল। 4.13 বহু দিনৰ আগতে এজন বেপাৰীৰ এজনী ধুনীয়া জীয়ৰী আছিল। 4.14 মোক এটা দিয়ক, দুটা নালাগে। 4.15 আগতে অসমৰ প্ৰায় প্ৰতিটো ঘৰতে এখন তাঁতশাল আছিল।
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These are the grammar rules for expressing "a" in Assamese.
এ- + classifier, before the noun. "A" is the numeral "one" in its short form এ-, joined to a classifier, and the whole word stands before the noun. An adjective goes between it and the noun: এজোপা ডাঙৰ গছ, "a big tree" (4.6); এখন পুৰণি চাইকেল, "an old bicycle" (4.11).
Choosing the classifier. The classifier is the one the noun takes for "the", as in Lesson 1: - এটা (eta): most things and animals: এটা আম (4.1), এটা কুকুৰ (4.5). The classifier -টো becomes -টা after a numeral: এটা, দুটা (4.14) - এখন (ekhon): flat, broad or large things: এখন কিতাপ (4.2), এখন চাইকেল (4.11), এখন তাঁতশাল (4.15), এখন চিঠি (4.16), এখন চিনেমা (4.26) - এজন (ezon): a man: এজন মানুহ (4.3), এজন বেপাৰী (4.13) - এজনী (ezoni): a woman or girl, a female animal: এজনী ছোৱালী (4.4), এজনী জীয়ৰী (4.13), এজনী গাই, "a cow" (4.21) - এগৰাকী (egoraki): a person spoken of with respect: এগৰাকী ডাক্তৰ (4.10), এগৰাকী বয়সীয়াল মহিলা (4.20) - এডাল (edal): a long thin thing: এডাল বাঁহ (4.7) - এজোপা (ezüpa): a tree or plant: এজোপা গছ (4.6), এজোপা আমগছ (4.18) - এটি (eti): the small, affectionate form of এটা, for little things and babies A noun keeps its classifier from "a" to "the": এজোপা আমগছ (4.18) becomes গছজোপা (4.19).
এক and এ-. এ- is used before a classifier, and before the words of time এদিন (one day), এবাৰ (once), এমাহ (a month) and এসপ্তাহ (a week, 4.29). এক (ek), the full numeral, is used before units of measure, which need no classifier: এক কেজি (a kilo), এক লিটাৰ (a litre).
"A" as "one". Because এটা means "one", it can stand without a noun, as English "one" does: মোক এটা দিয়ক, "give me one" (4.14). The other numerals work the same way: দুটা, "two (of them)".
"A certain", "some". কোনো এজন (küno ezon) before a noun is "some (person or other)", "a certain": কোনো এজন মানুহ, "a man, someone" (4.12). Alone, কোনো means "any" (Lesson 2).
"A" in the case forms. The case ending goes on the noun, as with "the": এজন বেপাৰীৰ, "of a merchant" (4.13); এখন গাঁৱত, "in a village" (Lesson 1, 1.16). An indefinite thing as object takes no ending: এখন কিতাপ দিয়ক (4.2), এখন চাইকেল কিনিলোঁ (4.11).
Where English has "a" and Assamese has nothing. - A profession or class after "is": মোৰ দাদা ডাক্তৰ, "my brother is a doctor". When an adjective comes with it, এজন is usual: মোৰ দাদা এজন ভাল ডাক্তৰ, "my brother is a good doctor" (4.8) - "A" in a rate: দিনত এবাৰ, "once a day", literally "in the day once" (4.9) - Things spoken of in general: মই চাহ খাওঁ, "I drink tea"
"A" then "the". A story brings in a person or thing with এ- + classifier and then names it with the classifier after the noun. This is how Assamese tales begin (4.13, and Section F), and how the letter in the Genre Section moves through Malati's new street.
Common Mistakes: - Using one classifier for everything. এটা is the general form, but a book is এখন কিতাপ, not \*এটা কিতাপ, and a man is এজন মানুহ. - Using -টা for an adult. \*এটা মানুহ sounds rude; say এজন মানুহ, or with respect এগৰাকী. - Writing \*এটো. After এ- the general classifier is -টা: এটা কুকুৰ, but কুকুৰটো. - Putting the classifier after the noun when you mean "a". কিতাপখন is "the book"; "a book" is এখন কিতাপ. - Adding a classifier to a unit of measure: এক কেজি, not \*এটা কেজি. - Translating every English "a". "Once a day" is দিনত এবাৰ; "he is a doctor" is তেওঁ ডাক্তৰ.
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Assamese tales begin with "a". The old storytellers' opening is a person or an animal, brought in with এ- and its classifier, and আছিল, "there was": এটা শিয়াল আৰু এটা বান্দৰ আছিল (Lesson 3, Section F); বহু দিনৰ আগতে এজন বেপাৰীৰ এজনী জীয়ৰী আছিল (4.13). In Bezbaroa's collection Burhi Aair Xadhu ("Grandmother's Tales", 1912) the titles themselves start this way: এটা বলী মানুহ (A Strong Man), এটা শিঙৰা মাছৰ কথা (The Story of a Singra Fish), and এজনী মালিনী আৰু এজোপা ফুল (A Gardener's Wife and a Flowering Plant), the tale in Section F.
Because "a" has to choose a classifier, it has to choose a degree of respect. A shopkeeper speaking of a customer, a teacher speaking of a parent, and a newsreader reporting on a woman in public life will all say এগৰাকী, and the choice of এটা for a grown person is felt at once as an insult.
Assamese has more classifiers than this lesson can teach, many for particular kinds of thing. Flowers are counted with -পাহি: এপাহি ফুল (epahi phul), "a flower". The general এটা is never wrong for a thing that is not a person, but an Assamese speaker will notice its absence when a more exact classifier was there to be used.
The loom of 4.15 is part of Assamese life. Weaving at the home loom, the তাঁতশাল, was long a skill expected of every Assamese woman, and the মেখেলা-চাদৰ (mekhela-sador), the two-piece dress of Assamese women, is still woven on it, in cotton, in muga silk (Lesson 3, 3.11) and in pat silk. The চাদৰ that Malati buys in the Genre Section is the upper piece of this dress.
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লক্ষ্মীনাথ বেজবৰুৱা (Lakshminath Bezbaroa, 1864–1938), "এজনী মালিনী আৰু এজোপা ফুল" — "A Gardener's Wife and a Flowering Plant," a folk tale retold in বুঢ়ী আইৰ সাধু (Burhi Aair Xadhu, "Grandmother's Tales"), first published in 1912
The opening of the tale:
এক মালিনী আছিল। তাই বৰ যতনকৈ এজোপা ফুল-গছ ৰুইছিল। ... সেইদেখি এদিন তাই ফুলগছজোপাক সুধিলে,—
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a এক one মালিনী gardener's-wife আছিল was
F.1b ek (EK) one malini (MA-li-ni) gardener.FEM asil (A-sil) be-PAST.3
F.2a তাই she বৰ very যতনকৈ carefully এজোপা one-CL ফুল-গছ flowering-plant ৰুইছিল had-planted
F.2b tai (TAI) she bor (BOR) very zotonkoi (ZO-ton-koi) care-ADV ezüpa (E-zuu-pa) one-CL.PLANT phul-gos (PHUL-gos) flower-plant ruisil (RUI-sil) plant-PLUPERF.3
F.3a সেইদেখি so এদিন one-day তাই she ফুলগছজোপাক the-flowering-plant সুধিলে asked
F.3b xeidekhi (XEI-de-khi) that-seeing edin (E-din) one-day tai (TAI) she phulgoszüpak (PHUL-gos-zuu-pak) flower-plant-CL.PLANT-ACC xudhile (XU-dhi-le) ask-PAST.3
F-B: Original and Translation
এক মালিনী আছিল। তাই বৰ যতনকৈ এজোপা ফুল-গছ ৰুইছিল। ... সেইদেখি এদিন তাই ফুলগছজোপাক সুধিলে,—
"There was once a gardener's wife. With great care she had planted a flowering plant. ... So one day she asked the flowering plant:" (Translation: Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Original
এক মালিনী আছিল। তাই বৰ যতনকৈ এজোপা ফুল-গছ ৰুইছিল। ... সেইদেখি এদিন তাই ফুলগছজোপাক সুধিলে,—
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The tale has "a" three times in three lines, and each time in a different form. Its title, in the modern manner, is এজনী মালিনী আৰু এজোপা ফুল, with the classifier -জনী for the woman and -জোপা for the plant. Its first sentence instead has এক মালিনী আছিল, with the full numeral এক and no classifier. This is the storyteller's old opening, "once there was a ...", and you will meet it in other tales; in your own Assamese, say এজনী মালিনী.
The second sentence brings in the plant with এজোপা, "a (plant)", the classifier for trees and plants that you saw in 4.6. The tale goes on to call it সেই গছজোপা, "that plant", and then, in the third line quoted here, ফুলগছজোপাক, "the flowering plant": the same classifier -জোপা, now after the noun, followed by -ক, because the plant is being spoken to as a person is. The pattern of the whole lesson, এ- + classifier for "a", then the classifier after the noun for "the", is complete in three lines. Between the two, এদিন, "one day", is এ- with a word of time and no classifier.
মালিনী is a woman of the মালী (mali), the gardeners and garland-makers; the word can mean a gardener's wife or a woman who grows flowers. যতনকৈ is যতন (zoton), "care", with -কৈ, which makes adverbs: "with care". ৰুইছিল is the pluperfect of ৰো- (rü-), "to plant": "she had planted". সেইদেখি, literally "seeing that", is "therefore, so". তাই, "she", takes no ergative ending even with a transitive verb such as সুধিলে, "asked"; the personal pronouns মই, তুমি and তাই never do.
The plant's flowers do not open, and the tale that follows is a chain: the plant blames the cow that eats its shoots, the cow blames the cowherd, the cowherd blames the cook, and the gardener's wife goes from one to the next asking each the same question.
The text is quoted from Bezbaroa's 1912 edition as transcribed on Assamese Wikisource. The transcription writes ফুল-গছ with a hyphen in the second sentence and ফুলগছ as one word later; both spellings are kept here as they stand.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Malati has moved to Guwahati for work, and writes to her grandmother, আইতা (aita), whom you met in Lesson 2. She describes her new street and the people in it, and nearly every one of them comes in with "a". She writes to her grandmother with the respectful আপুনি.
4.16a মৰমৰ dear আইতা grandmother মই I গুৱাহাটীৰ of-Guwahati পৰা from আপোনালৈ to-you এখন one-CL চিঠি letter লিখি writing আছোঁ am
4.16b moromor (MO-ro-mor) love-GEN aita (AI-ta) grandmother moi (MOI) I guwahatir (GU-wa-ha-tir) Guwahati-GEN pora (PO-ra) from apünaloi (A-puu-na-loi) you-HON-DAT ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT sithi (SI-thi) letter likhi (LI-khi) write-CONV asü̃ (A-sun) be-PRES.1
4.17a ইয়াত here মই I এটা one-CL সৰু small ভাৰাঘৰত in-rented-house থাকোঁ live
4.17b iyat (I-yat) here moi (MOI) I eta (E-ta) one-CL xoru (XO-ru) small bharaghorot (BHA-ra-gho-rot) rent-house-LOC thakü̃ (THA-kun) stay-PRES.1
4.18a ঘৰটোৰ of-the-house সন্মুখত in-front এজোপা one-CL আমগছ mango-tree আছে is
4.18b ghortür (GHOR-tuur) house-CL-GEN xonmukhot (XON-mu-khot) front-LOC ezüpa (E-zuu-pa) one-CL.PLANT amgos (AM-gos) mango-tree ase (A-se) be-PRES.3
4.19a গছজোপাত in-the-tree প্ৰতিদিনে every-day এটা one-CL শালিকা myna চৰাই bird আহি coming বহে sits
4.19b goszüpat (GOS-zuu-pat) tree-CL.PLANT-LOC protidine (PRO-ti-di-ne) every-day eta (E-ta) one-CL xalika (XA-li-ka) myna sorai (SO-rai) bird ahi (A-hi) come-CONV bohe (BO-he) sit-PRES.3
4.20a মোৰ my কাষৰ of-next-to ঘৰত in-house এগৰাকী one-CL বয়সীয়াল elderly মহিলা lady থাকে lives
4.20b mür (MUUR) I-GEN kaxor (KA-xor) side-GEN ghorot (GHO-rot) house-LOC egoraki (E-go-ra-ki) one-CL.HON boyoxiyal (BO-yo-xi-yal) elderly mohila (MO-hi-la) woman thake (THA-ke) stay-PRES.3
4.21a তেওঁৰ her এখন one-CL ডাঙৰ big বাৰী garden আৰু and এজনী one-CL গাই cow আছে is
4.21b teü̃r (TE-unr) she-HON-GEN ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT dangor (DANG-or) big bari (BA-ri) garden aru (A-ru) and ezoni (E-zo-ni) one-CL.FEM gai (GAI) cow ase (A-se) be-PRES.3
4.22a দেওবাৰে on-Sunday তেওঁ she মোক to-me এটা one-CL ডাঙৰ big কঁঠাল jackfruit দিলে gave
4.22b deübare (DEU-ba-re) Sunday-LOC teü̃ (TE-un) she-HON mük (MUUK) I-ACC eta (E-ta) one-CL dangor (DANG-or) big kõthal (KON-thal) jackfruit dile (DI-le) give-PAST.3
4.23a মই I তেওঁক to-her এবাৰ once আপোনাৰ your কথা story ক'লোঁ told
4.23b moi (MOI) I teü̃k (TE-unk) she-HON-DAT ebar (E-bar) one-time apünar (A-puu-nar) you-HON-GEN kotha (KO-tha) talk kolü̃ (KO-lun) say-PAST.1
4.24a মোৰ my অফিচত in-office এজন one-CL নতুন new সহকৰ্মী colleague আহিছে has-come
4.24b mür (MUUR) I-GEN ophisot (O-phi-sot) office-LOC ezon (E-zon) one-CL.MASC notun (NO-tun) new xohokormi (XO-ho-kor-mi) colleague ahise (A-hi-se) come-PERF.3
4.25a তেওঁ he এজন one-CL ভাল good মানুহ man আৰু and তেওঁৰ his ঘৰ home যোৰহাটত in-Jorhat
4.25b teü̃ (TE-un) he-HON ezon (E-zon) one-CL.MASC bhal (BHAL) good manuh (MA-nuh) man aru (A-ru) and teü̃r (TE-unr) he-HON-GEN ghor (GHOR) house zürhatot (ZUUR-ha-tot) Jorhat-LOC
4.26a কালি yesterday আমি we দুয়ো both এখন one-CL অসমীয়া Assamese চিনেমা film চাবলৈ to-see গৈছিলোঁ went
4.26b kali (KA-li) yesterday ami (A-mi) we duyü (DU-yuu) two-also ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT oxomiya (O-xo-mi-ya) Assamese sinema (SI-ne-ma) film saboloi (SA-bo-loi) see-INF-DAT goisilü̃ (GOI-si-lun) go-PLUPERF.1
4.27a চিনেমাখন the-film এজনী one-CL সাহসী brave ছোৱালীৰ of-girl কাহিনী story
4.27b sinemakhon (SI-ne-ma-khon) film-CL.FLAT ezoni (E-zo-ni) one-CL.FEM xahoxi (XA-ho-xi) brave süwalir (SUU-wa-lir) girl-GEN kahini (KA-hi-ni) story
4.28a আইতা grandmother মই I আপোনাৰ your বাবে for এখন one-CL মুগাৰ of-muga-silk চাদৰ chador কিনিছোঁ have-bought
4.28b aita (AI-ta) grandmother moi (MOI) I apünar (A-puu-nar) you-HON-GEN babe (BA-be) for ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT mugar (MU-gar) muga-GEN sador (SA-dor) chador kinisü̃ (KI-ni-sun) buy-PERF.1
4.29a বিহুৰ of-Bihu আগতে before মই I এসপ্তাহৰ of-one-week বাবে for আপোনাৰ your ওচৰলৈ to-near যাম will-go
4.29b bihur (BI-hur) Bihu-GEN agote (A-go-te) before-LOC-EMPH moi (MOI) I exoptahor (E-xop-ta-hor) one-week-GEN babe (BA-be) for apünar (A-puu-nar) you-HON-GEN üsorloi (UU-sor-loi) nearness-DAT zam (ZAM) go-FUT.1
4.30a আপুনি you মোক to-me এখন one-CL চিঠি letter লিখিব will-write আপোনাৰ your মৰমৰ loving নাতিনী granddaughter মালতী Malati
4.30b apuni (A-pu-ni) you-HON mük (MUUK) I-ACC ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT sithi (SI-thi) letter likhibo (LI-khi-bo) write-FUT.2HON apünar (A-puu-nar) you-HON-GEN moromor (MO-ro-mor) love-GEN natini (NA-ti-ni) granddaughter maloti (MA-lo-ti) Malati
4.16 মৰমৰ আইতা, মই গুৱাহাটীৰ পৰা আপোনালৈ এখন চিঠি লিখি আছোঁ। (moromor aita, moi guwahatir pora apünaloi ekhon sithi likhi asü̃.) "Dear Grandmother, I am writing you a letter from Guwahati." 4.17 ইয়াত মই এটা সৰু ভাৰাঘৰত থাকোঁ। (iyat moi eta xoru bharaghorot thakü̃.) "Here I live in a small rented house." 4.18 ঘৰটোৰ সন্মুখত এজোপা আমগছ আছে। (ghortür xonmukhot ezüpa amgos ase.) "In front of the house there is a mango tree." 4.19 গছজোপাত প্ৰতিদিনে এটা শালিকা চৰাই আহি বহে। (goszüpat protidine eta xalika sorai ahi bohe.) "Every day a myna comes and sits in the tree." 4.20 মোৰ কাষৰ ঘৰত এগৰাকী বয়সীয়াল মহিলা থাকে। (mür kaxor ghorot egoraki boyoxiyal mohila thake.) "In the house next to mine lives an elderly lady." 4.21 তেওঁৰ এখন ডাঙৰ বাৰী আৰু এজনী গাই আছে। (teü̃r ekhon dangor bari aru ezoni gai ase.) "She has a big garden and a cow." 4.22 দেওবাৰে তেওঁ মোক এটা ডাঙৰ কঁঠাল দিলে। (deübare teü̃ mük eta dangor kõthal dile.) "On Sunday she gave me a big jackfruit." 4.23 মই তেওঁক এবাৰ আপোনাৰ কথা ক'লোঁ। (moi teü̃k ebar apünar kotha kolü̃.) "I told her about you once." 4.24 মোৰ অফিচত এজন নতুন সহকৰ্মী আহিছে। (mür ophisot ezon notun xohokormi ahise.) "A new colleague has joined my office." 4.25 তেওঁ এজন ভাল মানুহ আৰু তেওঁৰ ঘৰ যোৰহাটত। (teü̃ ezon bhal manuh aru teü̃r ghor zürhatot.) "He is a good man, and his home is in Jorhat." 4.26 কালি আমি দুয়ো এখন অসমীয়া চিনেমা চাবলৈ গৈছিলোঁ। (kali ami duyü ekhon oxomiya sinema saboloi goisilü̃.) "Yesterday the two of us went to see an Assamese film." 4.27 চিনেমাখন এজনী সাহসী ছোৱালীৰ কাহিনী। (sinemakhon ezoni xahoxi süwalir kahini.) "The film is the story of a brave girl." 4.28 আইতা, মই আপোনাৰ বাবে এখন মুগাৰ চাদৰ কিনিছোঁ। (aita, moi apünar babe ekhon mugar sador kinisü̃.) "Grandmother, I have bought you a muga-silk chador." 4.29 বিহুৰ আগতে মই এসপ্তাহৰ বাবে আপোনাৰ ওচৰলৈ যাম। (bihur agote moi exoptahor babe apünar üsorloi zam.) "Before Bihu I will come to you for a week." 4.30 আপুনি মোক এখন চিঠি লিখিব। আপোনাৰ মৰমৰ নাতিনী, মালতী। (apuni mük ekhon sithi likhibo. apünar moromor natini, maloti.) "Do write me a letter. Your loving granddaughter, Malati."
4.16 মৰমৰ আইতা, মই গুৱাহাটীৰ পৰা আপোনালৈ এখন চিঠি লিখি আছোঁ। 4.17 ইয়াত মই এটা সৰু ভাৰাঘৰত থাকোঁ। 4.18 ঘৰটোৰ সন্মুখত এজোপা আমগছ আছে। 4.19 গছজোপাত প্ৰতিদিনে এটা শালিকা চৰাই আহি বহে। 4.20 মোৰ কাষৰ ঘৰত এগৰাকী বয়সীয়াল মহিলা থাকে। 4.21 তেওঁৰ এখন ডাঙৰ বাৰী আৰু এজনী গাই আছে। 4.22 দেওবাৰে তেওঁ মোক এটা ডাঙৰ কঁঠাল দিলে। 4.23 মই তেওঁক এবাৰ আপোনাৰ কথা ক'লোঁ। 4.24 মোৰ অফিচত এজন নতুন সহকৰ্মী আহিছে। 4.25 তেওঁ এজন ভাল মানুহ আৰু তেওঁৰ ঘৰ যোৰহাটত। 4.26 কালি আমি দুয়ো এখন অসমীয়া চিনেমা চাবলৈ গৈছিলোঁ। 4.27 চিনেমাখন এজনী সাহসী ছোৱালীৰ কাহিনী। 4.28 আইতা, মই আপোনাৰ বাবে এখন মুগাৰ চাদৰ কিনিছোঁ। 4.29 বিহুৰ আগতে মই এসপ্তাহৰ বাবে আপোনাৰ ওচৰলৈ যাম। 4.30 আপুনি মোক এখন চিঠি লিখিব। আপোনাৰ মৰমৰ নাতিনী, মালতী।
A street, one "a" at a time. Every new thing in the letter comes in with এ- and its classifier: a house (এটা, 4.17), a tree (এজোপা, 4.18), a bird (এটা, 4.19), a neighbour (এগৰাকী, 4.20), a garden and a cow (এখন, এজনী, 4.21), a colleague (এজন, 4.24), a film (এখন, 4.26). The tree comes back as গছজোপা, "the tree" (4.19), and the house and the film as ঘৰটো and চিনেমাখন (4.18, 4.27), with the classifier now after the noun.
Respect in the classifier. The neighbour is an older woman, so she is এগৰাকী (4.20); the colleague is a man of Malati's own age, এজন (4.24); the cow is এজনী, the classifier for women and for female animals (4.21). Both people are referred to as তেওঁ, the respectful "he, she", which does not show sex: তেওঁৰ বাৰী, "her garden" (4.21); তেওঁৰ ঘৰ, "his home" (4.25).
"A" with a time word. এবাৰ (once, 4.23) and এসপ্তাহৰ বাবে (for a week, 4.29) take এ- with no classifier, as এদিন, "one day", did in Section F.
Is, with no verb. তেওঁ এজন ভাল মানুহ (4.25) and চিনেমাখন এজনী সাহসী ছোৱালীৰ কাহিনী (4.27) have no verb, as কিতাপখন নতুন had in Lesson 1: the present "is" is left out when one thing is said to be another. In 4.25 the noun after "is" has an adjective, ভাল, so it takes its "a", এজন; in 4.27 the "a" belongs to the girl, এজনী সাহসী ছোৱালী, and the story itself, কাহিনী, needs none.
The perfect: "have done". আহিছে (has come, 4.24) and কিনিছোঁ (I have bought, 4.28) are perfects in -ইছ-, used for something done that still matters now. গৈছিলোঁ (we went, 4.26) is the pluperfect in -ইছিল-, which Assamese often uses for a finished outing in the past, where English uses the simple past.
The polite request as a future. আপুনি মোক এখন চিঠি লিখিব (4.30) is literally "you will write me a letter". The respectful future in -ইব is the polite way to ask an elder for something, as in আৰু এদিন আহিব, "come another day" (Lesson 3, 3.30).
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The romanisation follows the system of the earlier lessons: ü for the short /ʊ/ of English "book", o for /ɔ/, x for the /x/ of Scottish "loch", s for চ and ছ, z for জ and য, a tilde for a nasal vowel. In the respellings, UU is the short vowel of "book", and the stressed first syllable is in capitals.
এটা (eta) — IPA: /ɛtɑ/ — the first vowel is the open /ɛ/ of "set"; টা is an alveolar /t/ followed by the /ɑ/ of "father". এখন (ekhon) — IPA: /ɛkʰɔn/ — খ is k with a puff of breath. এজন (ezon) — IPA: /ɛzɔn/ — জ is /z/, as in "zoo". এজনী (ezoni) — IPA: /ɛzɔni/. এগৰাকী (egoraki) — IPA: /ɛɡɔɹɑki/. এডাল (edal) — IPA: /ɛdɑl/ — ড is an alveolar /d/, not retroflex. এজোপা (ezüpa) — IPA: /ɛzʊpɑ/ — ো is the short vowel of "book". এক (ek) — IPA: /ɛk/. মালিনী (malini) — IPA: /mɑlini/. যতনকৈ (zotonkoi) — IPA: /zɔtɔnkɔi/ — য is /z/ at the start of a word. ৰুইছিল (ruisil) — IPA: /ɹuisil/ — ছ is /s/. সেইদেখি (xeidekhi) — IPA: /xɛidɛkʰi/. বাঁহ (bãh) — IPA: /bɑ̃h/ — a nasal /ɑ/, from ঁ. তাঁতশাল (tãtxal) — IPA: /tɑ̃txɑl/ — a nasal /ɑ/, then শ as /x/. শালিকা (xalika) — IPA: /xɑlikɑ/. তেওঁ (teü̃) — IPA: /tɛʊ̃/ — the second vowel is nasal.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
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