-ა

See also: ა-, -ა-, ა, Ⴀ, and Appendix:Variations of "a"

Georgian

Etymology 1

Suffix

-ა • (-a)

1. Suffixed to nouns and adjectives for the purpose of euphony. Separates the final consonant of a suffixed term from the initial consonant of the next word. It may also split a postposition-attached word (see -ა- (-a-)).

   ჩემი ეს გზავნილი ეძღვნება კაცსა თუ ქალს

   čemi es gzavnili eʒɣvneba ḳacsa tu kals

   My message is to the man and the woman

Usage notes

• It can be suffixed to a noun in the dative, instrumental, or genitive case.
• In sentences where a list of two or more nouns are connected in series, with the last noun preceded by the conjunction და (da, “and”), this suffix is appended to the noun before და (da, “and”). For example, მან თქვა რომ არ უღალატებდა სამშობლოს ენასა და სარწმუნოებას (he said that he would never betray his country, language and faith).

Etymology 2

Contraction of არის (aris, “is”).

Suffix

-ა • (-a)

1. is

   ის ექიმია ― is ekimia ― She/he is a doctor

   ლამაზია ― lamazia ― She/he/it is beautiful

Etymology 3

Suffix

-ა • (-a)

1. Forms verbal nouns from verbs.

Etymology 4

Both senses are from Proto-Kartvelian *-a.

Suffix

-ა • (-a)

1. Suffixed to nouns to form privative adjectives

   ‎კუდი (ḳudi, “tail”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎კუდა (ḳuda, “tailless, short-tailed”)

   ‎ფეხი (pexi, “leg”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ფეხა (pexa, “lame”)

2. Expresses having something

   ‎ცხვირი (cxviri, “nose”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ცხვირა (cxvira, “(big-)nosed”)

   ‎ცალი (cali, “one”) + ‎თვალი (tvali, “eye”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ცალთვალა (caltvala, “one-eyed”)

Derived terms

Georgian terms suffixed with -ა (privative; ironic)

References

• Ǯorbenaʒe, B., Ḳobaiʒe, M., Beriʒe, M. (1988) “-ა⁷”, in Kartuli enis morpemebisa da modaluri elemenṭebis leksiḳoni [Dictionary of morphemes and modal elements in Georgian] (in Georgian), Tbilisi: Academy Press, page 14

Etymology 5

Developed from -ად (-ad).

Suffix

-ა • (-a)

1. Forms adverbs.

   ‎ჩქარი (čkari, “quick”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ჩქარა (čkara, “quickly”)

   ‎ნელი (neli, “slow”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ნელა (nela, “slowly”)

Derived terms

Georgian terms suffixed with -ა (adverbial)

References

• Fähnrich, Heinz (2012) Die georgische Sprache (Handbook of Oriental Studies; VIII.22) (in German), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 597
• Ǯorbenaʒe, B., Ḳobaiʒe, M., Beriʒe, M. (1988) “-ა⁹”, in Kartuli enis morpemebisa da modaluri elemenṭebis leksiḳoni [Dictionary of morphemes and modal elements in Georgian] (in Georgian), Tbilisi: Academy Press, page 15
• Vogt, Hans (1971) Grammaire de la langue géorgienne‎^[1] (in French), Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, page 65

Laz

Etymology 1

From Proto-Kartvelian *-a.

Suffix

-ა • (-a) (Latin spelling -a)

1. Suffixed to verbs to form nouns

   ‎წკუნ- (ǯǩun-, “to ache, hurt”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎წკუნა (ǯǩuna, “pain”)

   ‎გნ- (gn-, “to understand”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎გაგნა (gagna, “understanding, perception”)

   ‎მწოლ- (mǯol-, “to soot”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎მწოლა (mǯola, “soot”)

   ‎ტრაღოდ- (ťrağod-, “to sing”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ტრაღოდა (ťrağoda, “song”)

Derived terms

Laz terms suffixed with -ა (verbal)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Kartvelian *-a.

Suffix

-ა • (-a) (Latin spelling -a)

1. Suffixed to nouns to form privative adjectives

   ‎ყუჯი (quci, “ear”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ყუჯა (quca, “deaf”)

Derived terms

Category Laz terms suffixed with -ა (privative) not found

Mingrelian

Etymology

Both senses are from Proto-Kartvelian *-a.

Suffix

-ა • (-a)

1. Suffixed to nouns to form privative adjectives

   ‎ჸუჯი (ʾuǯi, “ear”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ჸუჯა (ʾuǯa, “deaf”)

2. Expresses having something

   ‎ჸუჯი (ʾuǯi, “ear”) + ‎-ა (-a) → ‎ჸუჯა (ʾuǯa, “big-eared”)

Derived terms

Mingrelian terms suffixed with -ა (privative; ironic)