INTRODUCTION
Why is it that I can only give ‘him’ an item and not ‘he’? Why can’t I say ‘you’s’ instead of ‘your’? Pronouns are strange things in many languages, because they are stubborn to change. Similarly in Nepali, ancient sound changes have stubbornly remained, without which this lesson wouldn’t exist.
What am I talking about?
In Nepali, when we attach some case markers to pronouns, the form of the pronoun changes with an accompanying sound change. This change is called obliquing, and the new modified word is the oblique form of the pronoun. Let’s take an example:
जन (jan) + ले (le) = जनले (jan-le)Here, despite adding le-case marker, there are no sound changes because nouns do not oblique. However, let’s take a pronoun instead:
ऊ (ū) + ले (le) = उसले (usle)Instead of the expected ऊले (ū-le), there is an s-sound between the two so that we obtain usle instead. The long ū turns into a short u because of orthographic reasons; there is no fundamental change in vowel length as the two u‘s are identical in Nepali.
Not all pronouns oblique, and the ones that do may only do it for certain cases and not for others.
FIRST PERSON OBLIQUE FORMS
Rather than thinking of whether a pronoun obliques for a certain case or not, it is easier to think of in terms of case markers instead. We have two first person pronouns in Nepali:
| म (ma) | I |
| हामी (hāmī) | We |
Both म (ma) and हामी (hāmī) have oblique forms for the genitive case, with म (ma) additionally declining with the case marker ले (le). While normally the genitive case marker is को (ko), म (ma) and हामी (hāmī) use its variation रो (ro) instead. Of course, the genitive marker is also unique in that it can be declined for number and gender as well, which we will be looking later.
In the genitive, म (ma) turns into मे (me), while हामी (hāmī) turns into हाम् (hām). Furthermore, म (ma) turns into मै (mai) when le-case marker is added.
The chart below shows you all the possible combinations of ma and hāmī with case markers, with the oblique form in bold red:
| ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | रो (ro) | मा (mā) | बाट (bāṭa) | देखि (dekhi) | |||
| inflection | zero | fem | plural | |||||
| म (ma) | I | मैले (maile) | मलाई (ma-lāī) | मेरो (mero) | मेरी (merī) | मेरा (merā) | ममा (ma-mā) | मबाट (ma-bāṭa) | मदेखि (ma-dekhi) |
| हामी (hāmī) | We | हामीले (hāmī-le) | हामीलाई (hāmī–lāī) | हाम्रो (hāmro) | हाम्री (hāmrī) | हाम्रा (hāmrā) | हामीमा (hāmī–mā) | हामीबाट (hāmī–bāṭa) | हामीदेखि (hāmī-dekhi) |
SECOND PERSON OBLIQUE FORMS
We have three second person pronouns in Nepali:
| तँ (ta~) | You[lr] |
| तिमी (timī) | You[mr] |
| तपाईँ (tapāī~) | You[hr] |
तपाईँ (tapāī~) does not oblique. However, both तँ (ta~) and तिमी (timī) have oblique forms for the genitive case, with तँ (ta~) additionally declining with the case marker ले (le). While normally the genitive case marker is को (ko), तँ (ta~) and तिमी (timī) use its variation रो (ro) instead. तपाईँ (tapāī~) uses को (ko), however. This is very similar to first person.
In the genitive, तँ (ta~) turns into ते (te), while तिमी (timī) turns into तिम् (tim). Furthermore, तँ (ta~) turns into तै (tai) when le-case marker is added.
The chart below shows you all the possible combinations of ta~, timī and tapāī~ with case markers, with the oblique form in bold red:
| ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | रो (ro)/ को (ko) | मा (mā) | बाट (bāṭa) | देखि (dekhi) | |||
| inflection | zero | sg. | fem | sg. | plural | |||||
| तँ (ta~) | You[lr] | तैले (taile) | तँलाई (ta~-lāī) | तेरो (tero) | तेरी (terī) | तेरा (terā) | तँमा (ta~-mā) | तँबाट (ta~-bāṭa) | तँदेखि (ta~-dekhi) |
| तिमी (timī) | You[mr] | तिमीले (timī-le) | तिमीलाई (timī–lāī) | तिम्रो (timro) | तिम्री (timrī) | तिम्रा (timrā) | तिमीमा (timī–mā) | तिमीबाट (timī–bāṭa) | तिमीदेखि (timī-dekhi) |
| तपाईँ (tapāī~) | You[hr] | तपाईँले (tapāī~–le) | तपाईँलाई (tapāī~–lāī) | तपाईँको (tapāī~-ko) | तपाईँकी (tapāī~-kī) | तपाईँका (tapāī~-kā) | तपाईँमा (tapāī~–mā) | तपाईँबाट (tapāī~–bāṭa) | तपाईँदेखि (tapāī~-dekhi) |
THIRD PERSON OBLIQUE FORMS
We have three third person pronouns in Nepali:
| ऊ (ū) | He/She |
| उनी (unī) | He[mr]/She[mr] |
| उहाँ (uhā~) | He[hr]/She[hr] |
उहाँ (uhā~) does not oblique. However, both ऊ (ū) and उनी (unī) have oblique forms for many case markers. The genitive case marker is को (ko).
The oblique form is very easy to remember: for ऊ (ū) add s to get उस (us) and for उनी (unī) remove the ī to get उन (un).
The chart below shows you all the possible combinations of ū, unī and uhā~ with case markers, with the oblique form in bold red:
| ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | को (ko) | मा (mā) | बाट (bāṭa) | देखि (dekhi) | |||
| inflection | zero | sg. | fem | sg. | plural | |||||
| ऊ (ū) | He/She | उसले (usle) | उसलाई (uslāī) | उसको (usko) | उसकी (uskī) | उसका (uskā) | उसमा (usmā) | उसबाट (usbāṭa) | उसदेखि (usdekhi) |
| उनी (unī) | He[mr]/She[mr] | उनले (unle) | उनलाई (unlāī) | उनको (unko) | उनकी (unkī) | उनका (unkā) | उनमा (unmā) | उनबाट (unbāṭa) | उनदेखि (undekhi) |
| उहाँ (uhā~) | He[mr]/She[mr] | उहाँले (uhā~–le) | उहाँलाई (uhā~–lāī) | उहाँको (uhā~-ko) | उहाँकी (uhā~-kī) | उहाँका (uhā~-kā) | उहाँमा (uhā~–mā) | उहाँबाट (uhā~–bāṭa) | उहाँदेखि (uhā~-dekhi) |
RELATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS OBLIQUE FORMS
While we will explore relative and interrogative pronouns later, it is important to know their oblique forms as well. The only relative pronoun that we need to know for this is जो (jo).
जो (jo) is the relative form of the interrogative pronoun को (ko), and both means ‘who’. While jo is used to introduce a relative clause or statement, ko is used to introduce a question.
Question | Who went to the moon? | would use koRelative | The person who went to the moon... | would use joTheir oblique forms are very easy as well. Their forms resemble those of ऊ (ū)’s, but the first syllable is swapped out with the pronoun (after turning the vowel from –o into –a). Basically, the oblique forms for जो (jo) and को (ko) are जस (jas) and कस (kas) respectively. These do not oblique for bāṭa– and dekhi– case markers. However, you may still hear it occasionally.
The chart below shows you all the possible combinations of jo and ko with case markers, with the oblique form in bold red:
| ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | को (ko) | मा (mā) | बाट (bāṭa) | देखि (dekhi) | |||
| inflection | zero | sg. | fem | sg. | plural | |||||
| जो (jo) | who | जसले (jasle) | जसलाई (jaslāī) | जसको (jasko) | जसकी (jaskī) | जसका (jaskā) | जसमा (jasmā) | जोबाट (jo-bāṭa) | जोदेखि (jo-dekhi) |
| को (ko) | who? | कसले (kasle) | कसलाई (kaslāī) | कसको (kasko) | कसकी (kaskī) | कसका (kaskā) | कसमा (kasmā) | कोबाट (ko-bāṭa) | कोदेखि (ko-dekhi) |
OBLIQUE FORM OF DETERMINERS
Determiners like यो (yo) and त्यो (tyo) have oblique forms as well. There are four common determiners in Nepali:
| यो (yo) | This/It |
| यी (yī) | These |
| त्यो (tyo) | That/It |
| ती (tī) | Those |
Although determiners are usually used with objects, it can be used with people as well. When done so, the plural forms yī and tī act like medium respect versions of their respective determiner and follow the conjugations of unī. Thus, it should come to no surprise that the oblique forms are very similar as well.
The oblique forms are very easy to remember. While यो (yo) and त्यो (tyo) turn into यस (yas) and त्यस (tyas), यी (yī) and ती (tī) turn into यिन (yin) and तिन (tin) respectively.
The chart below shows you all the possible combinations of determiners with case markers, with the oblique form in bold red:
| ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | को (ko) | मा (mā) | बाट (bāṭa) | देखि (dekhi) | |||
| inflection | zero | sg. | fem | sg. | plural | |||||
| यो (yo) | this | यसले (yasle) | यसलाई (yaslāī) | यसको (yasko) | यसकी (yaskī) | यसका (yaskā) | यसमा (yasmā) | यसबाट (yasbāṭa) | यसदेखि (yasdekhi) |
| त्यो (tyo) | that | त्यसले (tyasle) | त्यसलाई (tyaslāī) | त्यसको (tyasko) | त्यसकी (tyaskī) | त्यसका (tyaskā) | त्यसमा (tyasmā) | त्यसबाट (tyasbāṭa) | त्यसदेखि (tyasdekhi) |
| यो (yo) | these | यिनले (yinle) | यिनलाई (yinlāī) | यिनको (yinko) | यिनकी (yinkī) | यिनका (yinkā) | यिनमा (yinmā) | यिनबाट (yinbāṭa) | यिनदेखि (yindekhi) |
| ती (tī) | those | तिनले (tinle) | तिनलाई (tinlāī) | तिनको (tinko) | तिनकी (tinkī) | तिनका (tinkā) | तिनमा (tinmā) | तिनबाट (tinbāṭa) | तिनदेखि (tindekhi) |
REFLEXIVE PRONOUN OBLIQUE FORM
The reflexive pronoun आफू (āphū) has an oblique form in the genitive case. While normally the genitive case marker is को (ko), आफू (āphū) uses the variation नो (no) instead. The oblique form is आफ् (āph).
The chart below shows you all the possible combinations of āphū and its emphatic form āphai with case markers, with the oblique form in bold red. I decided to include the emphatic form as well, since it is very common to encounter it:
| ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | नो (no) | मा (mā) | बाट (bāṭa) | देखि (dekhi) | |||
| inflection | zero | fem | plural | |||||
| आफू (āphū) | self | आफूले (āphū-le) | आफूलाई (āphū-lāī) | आफ्नो (āphno) | आफ्नी (āphnī) | आफ्ना (āphnā) | आफूमा (āphū-mā) | आफूबाट (āphū-bāṭa) | आफूदेखि (āphū-dekhi) |
| आफै (āphai) | self[emp.] | आफैले (āphai-le) | आफैलाई (āphai–lāī) | आफ्नै (āphnai) | आफ्नी नै (āphnī nai) | आफ्ना नै (āphnā nai) | आफैमा (āphai–mā) | आफैबाट (āphai–bāṭa) | आफैदेखि (āphai-dekhi) |
Note | The reason why नै (nai) pops up is because the vowels would otherwise clash. नै (nai) is also a particle used for emphasis.
EXERCISES
A. WRITE THE CORRECT FORMS OF THE FOLLOWING PRONOUNS.
1. आफू (āphū) + लाई (lāī)
2. म (ma) + रो (ro)
3. तँ (ta~) + ले (le)
4. उहाँ (uhā~) बाट (bāṭa)
5. त्यो (tyo) + मा (mā)
B. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TABLE.
| Genitive (k-, r-, n-) | sg. | ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | मा (mā) | |
| He[mr]/She[mr] | [fem. form] | usle | ||
| We | hāmro | |||
| You[lr] | ta~lāī | |||
| He[hr]/She[hr] | uhā~mā |
ANSWERS
A.1. आफूलाई (āphū-lāī)
A.2. मेरो (mero)
A.3. तैले (taile)
A.4. उहाँबाट (uhā~-bāṭa)
A.5. त्यसमा (tyasmā)
B.
| Genitive (k-, r-, n-) | ले (le) | लाई (lāī) | मा (mā) | |
| He[mr]/She[mr] | uskī | usle | uslāī | usmā |
| We | hāmro | hāmī-le | hāmī–lāī | hāmī–mā |
| You[lr] | tero | taile | ta~lāī | ta~mā |
| He[hr]/She[hr] | uhā~-ko | uhā~-le | uhā~-lāī | uhā~mā |