Chapter 4 - Naan Smith peruseen

Question 1

How does one express posibility in Tamil?

What is the negative form?

Answer 1

Mudiyum preceded by the infinitive

The negative form is: Mudiyaade

Question 2

Which forms can the subject take on when expressing possibility/ability in Tamil?

Answer 2

1. Subject is normal form
2. Subject is possesive form + aale

Example: ennaale vara mudiyum

Question 3

How to express a future action that is going to take place?

The use of ‘to be going’ in English

Answer 3

Infinitive of a verb + poo

Example: naan vara pooreen = I shall come (literally: I’m going to come)

Question 4

What is a postposition in Tamil and where does it go?

Give an example

Answer 4

1. A postposition is a term that indicates spatial location
2. They follow the noun

Example = Pakkam:near
Ex.) onga viittupakkam = near your house

Question 5

How is location generally expressed in Tamil?

How can it be translated in English

Answer 5

Use the suffix -le after nouns

By, at, in, on

Question 6

How do you form an ordinal number?

Answer 6

1. Number + aavadu
2. Number + aam

‘First’ has the additional form ‘Modal’

Question 7

When does the final (Tamil) consonant of a verb fall off?

Answer 7

• PT suffix = -kkir-
• FUT suffix = -kk- or -pp-
• Final consonant = l or r

All these statements need to be true!

Example: nillu -> nikkum = it will stand
Example: paaru -> paakkireen = I see

Question 8

How is onnare pronounced?

The -nn- in onnare are both retroflex characters

Answer 8

Ondre

The -nd- in ondre are both retroflex characters

Question 9

Which suffices do negative imperatives get in Tamil

Where is the suffix added to?

Answer 9

1. -aade
2. -aadinga

aadinga is plural

Suffices are added to the verb stem! (so not infinitive!)

Question 10

What happens during the formation of a negative imperative when the verb has the -kkir- suffix in the present tense

(Or the -pp-, -kk- suffix in the future tense)

Answer 10

-kk- is added to verb stem before adding neg imp suffices

The neg imp suffices are -aade or -aadinga

Question 11

What is the difference between would you have and do you have

Which tenses?

Answer 11

• Would you have = irukkumaa
• Do you have = irukkaa

Future tense vs Present tense

Question 12

What is the emhpatic suffix for ‘self’, ‘even’ and ‘right’

Answer 12

The suffix is -ee

niyee vaa = you yourself come

Question 13

How can the emphatic suffix -ee be translated?

Answer 13

1. Self
2. Right
3. Even
4. Etc…