Assamese grammar

Assamese grammar (Assamese: অসমীয়া ব্যাকৰণ 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.^[4][5] 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.

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

Sources:^[6][7]

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[a]	oblique	objective	genitive "of"	instrumental "by"	dative "for"	locative "in"
1st person	singular				মই (moi, I)	—	মো- (mü-)	মোক (mük) [A]	মোৰ (mür) [B]	মোৰে (müre) [C]	মোলৈ (müloi) [D]	মোত (müt) [E]
	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.[b]	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:

1. Only the pronouns having plural suffixes get the ergative case marking -e due to historical reasons. The singular pronoun এখেত (ekhet)/তেখেত (tekhet) also gets the ergative marking because the -খেত (-khet) was originally a suffix.
2. All the plural pronouns except আমি (ami, we) are formed by adding plural suffixes. The suffixes are -হঁত (-hõt) for very familiar and familiar, and -লোক (-lük), -সকল (-xokol) for familiar or honorific.

   • -হঁত (-hõt):

   তই (toi)^[F] > তহঁত (tohõt)^[G] (not *তোহঁত *tühõt)
   সি (xi) > সিহঁত (xihõt), তাহঁত (tahõt)

   • -লোক (-lük) is added to the oblique forms:

   তুমি (tumi)^[H] > তোমালোক (tümalük)^[I]
   আপুনি (apuni)^[J] > আপোনালোক (apünalük)^[K]

   • -সকল (-xokol) is added with one pronoun only. It can be replaced by -লোক (-lük).

   তেখেত (tekhet)^[L] > তেখেতসকল (tekhetxokol)^[M]

Demonstratives

Source:^[8]

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.

Glossary and notes

1. me
2. my, mine
3. by me
4. to/for me
5. in/on/at me
6. you (very familiar, singular)
7. you (very familiar, plural)
8. you (familiar, singular)
9. you (familiar, plural)
10. you (honorific, singular)
11. you (honorific, plural)
12. he/she (honorific, singular)
13. he/she (honorific, plural)

See also

• Meitei grammar