CHAPTER IV
PERSONAL SUFFIXES
As already mentioned, the name of the object possessed is always inflected.
- Péternek kalap-ja (Peter’s hat).
In Hungarian, the function of the English possessive pronouns (my, thy, &c.) is performed by suffixes.
- atyá-m (my father); atyá-d (thy father).
These suffixes are as follows:—
(A.) Where the Object possessed is Singular.
| Flat Words. | Sharp Words. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sing.: | 1st | person | -m | -m | my |
| 2nd | ” | -d | -d | thy | |
| 3rd | ” | -ja | -je | his, hers, its | |
| Plural: | 1st | ” | -nk | -nk | our |
| 2nd | ” | -tok | -tek, tök | your | |
| 3rd | ” | -jok, juk | -jök, jük | their |
When a word ends in a vowel these suffixes are added directly to the word, the vowels a and e being lengthened, as in the case of the formation of the plural.
Examples.
atya (father)
| atyá-m, | my father | atyá-nk, | our father |
| atyá-d, | thy father | atyá-tok, | your father |
| aty(á)-ja, | his or her father[3] | aty(á)-juk, | their father[3] |
eke (plough)
| eké-m, | my plough | eké-nk, | our plough |
| eké-d, | thy plough | eké-tek, | your plough |
| eké-je, | his or her plough | eké-jük, | their plough |
A large number of words drop the j in the third person singular and plural.
| láb | (foot) | lába | lábuk |
| bér | (wages) | bére | bérük |
| szív | (heart) | szive | szivük |
| toll | (feather) | tolla | tolluk |
| orr | (nose) | orra | orruk |
In general, when a word ends with a consonant the j is omitted, but words ending in two different consonants usually retain the j.
| föld | (ground) | földje | foldjük |
| kert | (garden) | kertje | kertjük |
| domb | (hill) | dombja | dombjuk |
| rojt | (fringe) | rojtja | rojtjuk |
There are exceptions, however.
| gyümölcs | (fruit) | gyümölcse | gyümölcsük |
| ércz | (metal) | ércze | érczük |
| kilincs | (door handle) | kilincse | kilincsük |
(B.) Where the Objects possessed are more than one.
The mark of plurality is the vowel i in the suffixes.
| Flat and Sharp Words. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sing.: | 1st | person | -im | my |
| 2nd | ” | -id | thy | |
| 3rd | ” | -i | his, hers, its | |
| Plural: | 1st | ” | -ink | our |
| 2nd | ” | -itok (flat), itek (sharp) | your | |
| 3rd | ” | -ik | their |
Examples.
| hajó (ship) | szoba (room) | eke (plough) | |||
| Sing.: | 1st | person | hajó-im | szobá-im | eké-im |
| 2nd | ” | hajó-id | szobá-id | eké-id | |
| 3rd | ” | hajó-i | szobá-i | eké-i | |
| Plural: | 1st | ” | hajó-ink | szobá-ink | eké-ink |
| 2nd | ” | hajó-itok | szobá-itok | eké-itek | |
| 3rd | ” | hajó-ik | szobá-ik | eké-ik |
Nouns ending in a consonant link these endings by means of a vowel.
Examples.
| könyv (book); | ház (house). | ||||
| 1. The Object in the Singular. | |||||
| 1. | könyv-em, | my book. | 1. | ház-am, | my house. |
| 2. | könyv-ed, | thy book. | 2. | ház-ad, | thy house. |
| 3. | könyv-e, | his book. | 3. | ház-a, | his house. |
| 1. | könyv-ünk, | our book. | 1. | ház-unk, | our house. |
| 2. | könyv-etek, | your book. | 2. | ház-atok, | your house. |
| 3. | könyv-ük, | their book. | 3. | ház-ok, | their house. |
| 2. The Object in the Plural. | |||||
| 1. | könyv-eim, | my books. | 1. | ház-aim, | my houses. |
| 2. | könyv-eid, | thy books. | 2. | ház-aid, | thy houses. |
| 3. | könyv-ei, | his books. | 3. | ház-ai, | his houses. |
| 1. | könyv-eink, | our books. | 1. | ház-aink, | our houses. |
| 2. | könyv-eitek, | your books. | 2. | ház-aitok, | your houses. |
| 3. | könyv-eik, | their books. | 3. | ház-aik, | their houses. |
Words which contract before adding the plural endings, also contract when adding these personal suffixes.
| ökör | (ox), | plural | ökrök | ökröm | (my ox), &c. |
| malom | (mill) | ” | malmok | malmom | (my mill), &c. |
| lélek | (soul) | ” | lelkek | lelkem | (my soul), &c. |
Note.—If the possessor is the first or the second person, the pronoun must not be put before it ordinarily, as the suffix already indicates to whom the object belongs. The personal pronoun is only to be used when it is desired to lay stress on this ownership, as, az én könyvem, my book (not yours); a te könyved, thy book (not another’s).
A noun to which has been added a personal suffix can take further suffixes.
- ezt atyá-m-nak adom, I am giving this to my father.
- a hajó-m-at szeretem, I like my boat.
- a hajó-m-ban, in my boat.
Exercise V.
A házak ablakai fényesek és ajtói magasak. A gazdának hat lova, nyolcz ökre és tíz tehene van. Kié az eke és az ásó? A gazdáé. A hű és szorgalmas szolga bére nagy. Kertem gyümölcsei érettek. Az én kertem kisebb mint a barátomé. A körte íze kellemesebb mint az almáé. A mi atyánk idősebb mint a te atyád. A rózsa szine piros, a buzavirágé kék.
My father’s books are very interesting. The scent of the roses is pleasant. The colour of the rose is red. The farmer has many valuable horses. The flowers of my father’s garden are beautiful. Whose is that book? It belongs to my friend’s little boy.
| fényes, | bright |
| ajtó, | door |
| hat, | six |
| tíz, | ten |
| tehén, | cow |
| szorgalmas, | industrious |
| szolga, | servant |
| bér, | wages |
| érett, | ripe |
| kis, kisebb, | small, smaller |
| barát, | friend |
| íz, | flavour |
| idős, | old |
| buzavirág, | cornflower |
| érdekes, | interesting |
| értékes, | valuable |
FOOTNOTES:
[3] anya (mother), atya (father), and bátya (elder brother), drop the á in the third person singular and plural.