27: Indicating Existence and Possession (Contd.)

27.1: The Preposition «ba-» (by, with, in) has several important functions. Much like the preposition «la-» (of, to, for) [see: 12.6], this preposition has a distinct set of pronominal suffixes:

	Singular		Plural
3rd m.	ቦ	bo	ቦሙ	bomu
	ቦቱ	botu
3rd f.	ባ	bā	ቦን	bon
	ባቲ	bāti	ቦቶን	boton
			ቦንቱ	bontu
2nd m.	ብከ	bəki	ብክሙ	bəkəmu
2nd f.	ብኪ	bəka	ብክን	bəkən
1st c.	ብየ	bəya	ብነ	bəna

27.2: The negative particle with this preposition is the enclitic አል «al-»,  thus forming: አልቦሙ (albomu = not in them) አልብነ (albəna = not in us) etc.

27.3: The most important function of this preposition is that (with the 3^rd m. sing. suffix) it indicates existence (there is…, there are…), just like the particle yeš in Hebrew, īt in Aramaic and thamma in Arabic. The following noun may sometimes decline in the accusative.

ቦ፡ቤት፡በዘሀገር።

bo bet ba-za-hagar

There is a house in this city.

አልቦ፡አብያት፡በዘሀገር።

al-bo abyāt ba-za-hagar

There are no houses in this city.

ቦቱ፡ከዋክብት፡በስመይ።

botu kawākəbt ba-smay

There are stars in the sky.

አልቦቱ፡ኮከበ፡በስመይ።

al-botu kokaba ba-smay

There is no star in the sky.

27.4: Also, note these examples:

ቦ፡ዘረከበኒ፡ወባሕቱ፡ኢዜነወ፡ሊተ፡ስሞ።

bo za-rakabani wabāḥəttu i-zenawa lita semo

There is someone who found me but he did not tell me his name.

አልቦ፡ዘሰምዐ፡ቃላቶሙ፡አመ፡ቦኡ፡ሀገረ።

albo za-samʿa qālātomu ama boʾu hagara

There was no one who heard their voices when they entered the city.

ቦ፡ዘጐዩ፡እምቤት፡ኀበ፡ደበዩ።

bo za-gʷayyu əm-bet xaba dabayu

There were those who fled from the house where they were hiding.

27.5: Another very common function of this preposition is that it indicates possession. The possessed object is usually declined in the accusative case, like the object of a verb.

ብነ፡ቤተ፡ዲበ፡ድብር።

bəna beta diba dəbr     

We have a house on the mountain.

ብየ፡ማየ፡ወአልብከ፡ማየ።

bəya māya wa-albəka māya.

I have water and you have no water.

ንግሥት፡አልባ፡አግብርተ፡በጽርሓ።

nəgəšt albā agbərta ba-ṣərḥā.

The queen has no servants in her chamber.

ቦቱ፡ካህን፡ክርታሳኖ።

botu kāhən kərtāsāno.

The priest has his scrolls.

አልቦሙ፡አራሚያን፡ሃይማኖተ።

albomu arāmiyān hāymānota.

The infidels have no faith.