Noun Suffix Formation
Masculine and feminine nouns can be created by adding different suffixes to the stems of verbs, nouns, and adjectives.
1. Masculine
1.1 Suffix formation from non-verbal stems:
a) several suffixes denote a person (a representative of some occupation, a position, a tribe, an owner of something, an inhabitant of some place, and so on):
[-gár] - گر
"weigher" - [tolgár] تُولْگَر گَر=+ "weight" - [tol] تُول
[-waalaá] - والا
"shop-keeper" - [dukaanwaalaá] دُکان والا = والا + "shop" - [dukaán] دُکان
[-waál] - وال
"participant" - [barkhawaál] بَرْخَه وال = وال + "part" - [bárkha] بَرْخَه
[-waan] - وان
"gardener" - [baaghwaán] باغوان = وان + "garden" - [baagh] باغ
[-i] - ى
"swindler" - [chalí] چَلى = ى + "swindle" - [chal] چَل
[-bá] - بَه
"guide" - [laarbá] لارْبَه = بَه + "road" - [laar] لار
[-záy] - زَی
"man from the tribe of akhmadzay" - [akhmadzáy] اَحْمَدْزَی
[-gÁray] - گٌرَی
"reaper" - [lawgÁray]لَوْگٌرَی = گٌرَی + "harvest" - [law] لَو
[-chí] - چى
"spectator" - [nAndaarchí] نٌنْدارچى = چى+ "show" - [nAndaará] نٌنْدارَه
[-yaál] - یال
"correspondent" - [khabaryaál] خَبَریال = یال + "news" - [khabár] خَبَر
[-maár] - مار
"clown" - [Tokmaár] ټُوکْمار = مار + "joke" - [Tóka] ټُوکَه
b) some suffixes indicate the location of something:
[-dzáy] - ڂَی
"faculty" - [pohAndzáy] پُوهٌنْڂَی =ڂَی + "knowledge" - [pohÁna] پُوهٌنَه
[-tún] - تُون
"university" - [pohAntún] پُوهٌنْتُون = تُون + "knowledge" - [pohÁna] پُوهٌنَه
[-ghaálay] - غالَی
"fireplace" - [orghaálay]اُورغالی = غالی + "fire" - [or] اُور
c) some suffixes denote an abstract meaning:
[-tób] - توب
"need" -[aRtób]اَړْتُوب = تُوب + "needy" - [aR] اَړ
[-waálay] - والَی
"cleanness" - [paakwaálay] پاکْوالَی = والی + "clean" - [paak] پاک
[-AKht] - ښت
"building" - [joRÁKht] جُوړٌښْت = ښت + "built" -[joR] جُوړ
d) some suffixes act as diminutives:
[-ák] - ک
"lion cub" - [zmarák] زْمَرَک = ک + "lion" - [zmaráy] زْمَرَی
[-úkay] - وکَی
"a small lake" - [DanDúkay] ډَنْډُوکَی = وکی + "lake" - [DanD] ډَنْډ
[-gÁRay] - گړی
"kid" - [wuzgÁRay] وُزْگٌړَی = گٌړَی + "billy-goat" - [wuz] وُز
1.2 Suffix formation from verbal stems:
a) some suffixes express an action:
[-ún] - ون
"treaty" - [taRún] تَړُون = ون + "to connect" - [taRÁl] تَړٌل
[-aák] - اک
"drink" - [tsAKhaák] څٌښاک = اک + "to drink" - [tsAKhÁl] څٌښٌل
b) some suffixes represent an active person:
[-ánd] - نْد
"eater" - [khuránd] خُورَنْد = ند + "to eat" - [khwaRÁl] خْوَړٌل
[-andóy] - ندوی
"policeman" - [tsaarandóy]څارَنْدُوی = نْدُوی + "to observe" - [tsaarÁl] څارٌل
2. Feminine
2.1 Suffix formation from non-verbal stems:
a) suffixes denoting a person:
To produce feminine nouns from masculine nouns, the suffixes [-gár] - گَر and [waál] - وال are replaced by [-a] - ه.
"weigher (woman)" - [tolgára] تُولْگَره - "weigher (man)" - [tolgár] تُولْگَر
"participant (woman)" - [barkhawaála] بَرْخَه واله - "participant (man)" - [barkhawaál] بَرْخَه وال
The suffix [-gÁray] - گٌرَی is changed to the suffix [-gÁre] - گٌرې
"friend (woman)" - [malgÁre] مَلْگٌرې ← "friend (man)" - [malgÁray] مَلْگٌرَی
The suffix [-i] - ى is changed to the suffix [-Áy] - ۍ.
"a woman from Kabul" - [kaabulÁy] کابُلۍ ← "a man from Kabul" - [kaabulí] کابُلى
the suffix [-ba] - به → the suffix [-baná] - بَنَه
"guide (woman)" - [laarbaná] لارْبَنَه ← "guide" - [laarbá] لارْبَه
b) suffixes with abstract meanings:
[-tyaá] - تیا or [-tob] - توب
"need" - [aRtyaá] اَړْتیا = تیا + "needy" - [aR] اَړ
"lightness" - [asaantyaá] اسانتیا = [asaantób] اسانْتُوب
[-i] - ى (adopted from Dari):
"greatness" - [-loyí] لُویى = ى + "great" - [loy] لُوی
[-walí] - وَلى
"fatherhood" - [plaarwalí] پْلارْوَلى = وَلى + "father" - [plaar] پْلار
[-waála] - واله
"unity" - [yawwaála] یوْوالَه = واله + "one" - [yaw] یو
[-galwí] - گَلْوى
"leadership" - [bumyaagalwí]بُومیاگَلْوى = گَلْوى + "leader" - [bumyaá] بُومیا
[-a] - ه
"resolution" - [Tínga] ټینْگَه = ه + "resolute" - [Ting] ټینْگ
c) suffixes that act as diminutives:
The suffixes [-úke] - وکې and [-gÁRe] - گړې for feminine nouns correspond to the suffixes [-úkay] - وکَی and [-gÁRay] گٌړَی for masculine nouns:
"a little goat" - [ wuzgÁRe] وُزْگٌړې = گٌړې + "goat" - [wuz] وُز
2.2 Suffix formation from verbal stems:
[-Ána] - نه
"inspection" - [katÁna] کَتٌنَه = نَه + "to look" - [katÁl] کَتٌل
[-aá] - ا
"laughing" - [khandaá] خَنْدا = ا + "to laugh" - [khandÁl] خَنْدٌل
Nouns can be produced by different ways. For example, by combining:
a) noun + noun:
"children" - زُوی لُور = "daughter" - لُور + "son" - زُوی
b) noun + [o] + noun:
"parents" - [moroplaár] موروپلار = "father" - پلار +و + "mother" - مُور
c) noun + participle:
"leader" - [laar Khowúnkay] لار ښُووُنْکَی = "showing" - ښُووُنْکَی + "road" - لار
See Also: