Maale language

Maale (also spelled Male) is an Omotic language spoken in the Omo Region of Ethiopia.

Subject-Object-Verb (SOV): For example: ʔííní   ginʔ-á-ne 3MS: NOM sleep-IPF-A:DCL “He is sleeping.” ʔííní  salítsi  zér-á-ne 3MS:NOM  sesame:ABS  sow-IPF-A:DCL “He is sowing sesame.” Pluralization In Maale, pluralization is typically achieved by adding the suffixes such as; -asti for definite nouns with a masculine gender marker.

Examples: ʔííní  deetsi bássi  bass-é-ne 3MS:NOM heavy load:ABS carry on back-PF -A:DCL 'He carried a heavy load' ʔííní   ʔodossi mítsi   tik' -é-ne 3MS:NOM tall tree: ABS cut-PF-A:DCL 'He cut a tall tree' However Maale adjectives are grouped into semantic types which are suggested in Dixon 1982 as seen below; Dimension Adjectives: -           Kúmútsi (full) -           Dicci (stout) -           Púúpi (big) -           K’ulbe (deep) -           Gúútsi (thin, slim) Physical property -           Wóʔʔi (wet) -           Mízaɓi (beautiful) -           Maasana (ugly) -           Deetsi (heavy) -           C’anci (bitter) Colour -           Zok’k’e (red) -           Kártsi (black) -           Boore (white) -           ɓáɓi (unripe, green) Age -           gárci (old (of people) ) -           ʔákki (new) -           ɗégge (young (of male) ) Human Propensity -           dúúɗɗi (selfish) -           Walli (healthy) -           Béls’a (lazy) -           ʔoso (difficult) -           Báró (calm, patient) Value -           Kupi (poor) -           Kóʃi (good) -           ʔórgocci (rich) -           Púrta (bad) -           Wúdde (expensive) Adverbs: Maale has adverbs that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating time, place, manner.

Examples: Time Adverbs ·       hannó  (today) -           ʔííní hannó  mukk-andá-ne (he will come today) ·       hintó (day after tomorrow) -           ʔízí hintó mukk-andá-ne (He will come the day after tomorrow) ·       wánte (yesterday night) -           ʔííní wánte mukk-é-ne (He came yesterday night) Manner Adverbs ·       pálle (to do something completely/ honestly) -           ʔízí pálle máɗ-á-ne (He works really good) ·       haccá (badly) -           nu  ʔác’c’-á  haccá Mel-é-ne (Our area became badly dry) Place adverbs are derived from demonstrative.

tá né ʔííní ʔí nú Examples: •             tá  ɓaʃk-é-ne  (I ran) •             nú ʔársa maʒʒ-á-ne (We are making a bed) •             né núú-na maɗ-andá-ne (“You will work for us”) Negation: Negation in Maale is typically marked by affixing -ibá- or -uwá- to the verb root.

For 100, it is expressed with a morphologically simplex form as attested in many other Omotic languages, that is: s’ééta  hundred.