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-jai. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-jai, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-jai in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-jai you have here. The definition of the word
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Hungarian
Etymology
-ja (possessive suffix) + -i (possessive plural)
Pronunciation
Suffix
-jai
- possessive suffix for multiple possessions:
- (with no noun for possessor) his, her, its ……-s (third-person singular; the pronoun ő (“s/he”) being optional for emphasis)
- pad (“bench”) → a padjai (“his/her/its benches”), az ő padjai (“his/her benches”)
- zokni (“socks”) → a zoknijai (“his/her/its socks”), az ő zoknijai (“his/her socks”)
- (with no noun for possessor, formal) your ……-s (second-person singular, grammatically resembling the third person sg.)
- pad (“bench”) → a padjai (“your benches”), az ön padjai, a maga padjai (“your benches”)
- construed with a noun or certain pronouns as the possessor: ……’s ……-s, ……-s of …… (third-person sg. or pl., depending on the noun or pronoun)
- az ember(nek a) padjai ― the person’s benches
- a gyerek(nek a) zoknijai ― the child’s socks
- az emberek(nek a) padjai ― the people’s benches
- a gyerekek(nek a) zoknijai ― the children’s socks
- az önök padjai, a maguk padjai ― your (plural, formal) benches
- azok(nak a) padjai ― the benches of those
- ki(k)nek a zoknijai? ― whose socks?
Usage notes
- (possessive suffix) Variants:
- -i is added to words ending in a vowel except -i. Final -a changes to -á-; final -e changes to -é-. The latter feature distinguishes it from the -i (adjective-forming suffix), which does not lengthen the preceding -a/-e.
- -ai is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant
- -ei is added to some front-vowel words ending in a consonant
- -jai is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant or the vowel -i
- -jei is added to some front-vowel words ending in a consonant or the vowel -i
- If the possessed noun is in the plural and the possessor is expressed in English with a possessive pronoun only (rather than a noun), e.g. “their toys” (as opposed to “the children’s toys”), the -ik/-aik/-eik/-jaik/-jeik suffixes are required in Hungarian.
See also
Ye'kwana
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Suffix
-jai
- Forms abilitative adverbs from transitive and intransitive verbs, with a meaning of ‘able to X’.
Usage notes
This suffix can cause syllable reduction.
When this suffix is attached to intransitive verb stems, they do not bear person markers or the intransitive prefix w-. Consonant-initial stems experience palatalization of their initial consonants, and, if a stem begins with two consonants, this suffix takes the form of a circumfix i- -jai instead of its ordinary shape. However, when this suffix derives an adverb from a transitive verb, it carries a series I person marker referring to the object/patient of the verb.
Rather than the usual adverbial plural suffix -nñe, adverbs derived with this suffix take the nominal plural suffix -komo. They still take the usual adverbial negative suffix -'da, however.
Derived terms
References
- Cáceres, Natalia (2011) “-jai”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana, Lyon, pages 153–154, 199–200, 248–251