Editing Tigrinya language (section)

=== Typical grammatical features ===
Grammatically, Tigrinya is a typical [[Ethiopian Semitic languages|Ethiopian Semitic (ES) language]] in most ways:
* A Tigrinya [[noun]] is treated as either [[grammatical gender|masculine or feminine]]. However, most inanimate nouns do not have a fixed gender.
* Tigrinya nouns have [[grammatical number|plural]], as well as singular, forms, though the plural is not obligatory when the linguistic or pragmatic context makes the number clear. As in Tigre and Ge{{hamza}}ez (as well as Arabic), noun plurals may be formed through internal changes ("broken" plural) as well as through the addition of [[affixes|suffixes]]. For example, {{lang|ti|ፈረስ}} {{transliteration|ti|färäs}} {{gloss|horse}}, {{lang|ti|ኣፍራሰ}} {{transliteration|ti|{{hamza}}afras}} {{gloss|horses}}.
* [[Adjectives]] behave in most ways like nouns. Most Tigrinya adjectives, like those in Tigre and Ge'ez, have feminine and plural (both genders) forms. For example, {{lang|ti|ጽቡቕ}} {{transliteration|ti|ṣǝbbuq̱}} {{gloss|good (m.sg.)}}, {{lang|ti|ጽብቕቲ}} {{transliteration|ti|ṣǝbbǝq̱ti}} {{gloss|good (f.sg.)}}, {{lang|ti|ጽቡቓት}} {{transliteration|ti|ṣǝbbuq̱at}} {{gloss|good (m./f. pl.)}}
* Within [[personal pronoun]]s and subject [[agreement (linguistics)|agreement]] [[inflection]]s on [[verb]]s, gender is distinguished in second [[grammatical person|person]] as well as third. For example, {{lang|ti|ተዛረብ}} {{transliteration|ti|täzaräb}} {{gloss|speak! (m.sg.)}}, {{lang|ti|ተዛረቢ}} {{transliteration|ti|täzaräbi}} {{gloss|speak (f.sg.)}}.
* [[Possession (linguistics)|Possessive]] adjectives take the form of noun suffixes: {{lang|ti|ገዛ}} {{transliteration|ti|gäza}} {{gloss|house}}, {{lang|ti|ገዛይ}} {{transliteration|ti|gäza-y}} {{gloss|my house}}, {{lang|ti|ገዛኺ}} {{transliteration|ti|gäza-ḵi}} {{gloss|your (f.sg.) house}}.
* Verbs are based on consonantal [[root (linguistics)|roots]], most consisting of [[triliteral|three consonants]]: √sbr {{gloss|break}}, {{lang|ti|ሰበረ}} {{transliteration|ti|säbärä}} {{gloss|he broke}}, {{lang|ti|ይሰብር}} {{transliteration|ti|yǝsäbbǝr}} {{gloss|he breaks}}, {{lang|ti|ምስባር}} {{transliteration|ti|mǝsbar}} {{gloss|to break}}.
* Within the [[grammatical tense|tense]] system there is a basic distinction between the perfective form—[[Grammatical conjugation|conjugated]] with suffixes and denoting the past—and the imperfective form—conjugated with prefixes and in some cases suffixes—and denoting the present or future: {{lang|ti|ሰበሩ}} {{transliteration|ti|säbär-u}} {{gloss|they broke}}, {{lang|ti|ይሰብሩ}} {{transliteration|ti|yǝ-säbr-u}} {{gloss|they break}}.
* As in Ge'ez and Amharic, there is also a separate "gerundive" form of the verb, conjugated with suffixes and used to link verbs within a sentence: {{lang|ti|ገዲፍካ ተዛረብ}} {{transliteration|ti|gädifka täzaräb}} {{gloss|stop (that) and speak (m.sg.)}}.
* Verbs also have a separate [[jussive mood|jussive]]/[[imperative mood|imperative]] form, similar to the imperfective: {{lang|ti|ይስበሩ}} {{transliteration|ti|yǝ-sbär-u}} {{gloss|let them break}}.
* Through the addition of [[derivation (linguistics)|derivational]] morphology (internal changes to verb stems and/or prefixes), verbs may be made [[grammatical voice|passive]], [[reflexive voice|reflexive]], [[causative voice|causative]], [[frequentative]], [[reciprocal (grammar)|reciprocal]], or reciprocal causative: {{lang|gez|ፈለጡ}} ''fäläṭ-u'' 'they knew', {{lang|gez|ተፈልጡ}} ''tä-fälṭ-u'' 'they were known', {{lang|gez|ኣፈልጡ}} ''{{hamza}}a-fälṭ-u'' 'they caused to know (they introduced)', {{lang|gez|ተፋለጡ}} ''tä-faläṭ-u'' 'they knew each other', {{lang|gez|ኣፋለጡ}} ''{{hamza}}a-f-faläṭ-u'' 'they caused to know each other'.
* Verbs may take direct [[object (grammar)|object]] and [[adposition|prepositional]] pronoun suffixes: {{lang|gez|ፈለጠኒ}} ''fäläṭä-nni'' 'he knew me', {{lang|gez|ፈለጠለይ}} ''fäläṭä-lläy'' 'he knew for me'.
* [[Negation]] is expressed through the prefix ''ay-'' and, in [[independent clause]]s, the suffix ''-n'': {{lang|gez|ኣይፈለጠን}} ''{{hamza}}ay-fäläṭä-n'' 'he didn't know'.
* The [[copula (linguistics)|copula]] and the verb of existence in the present are [[irregular verb|irregular]]: {{lang|gez|ኣሎ}} ''{{hamza}}allo'' 'there is, he exists', {{lang|gez|እዩ}} ''{{hamza}}ǝyyu'' 'he is', {{lang|gez|የለን}} or {{lang|gez|የልቦን}} ''yällän'' or ''yälbon'' 'there isn't, he doesn't exist', {{lang|gez|ኣይኰነን}} ''{{hamza}}aykʷänän'' 'he isn't, it isn't', {{lang|gez|ነበረ}} ''näbärä'' 'he existed, he was, there was', {{lang|gez|ይኸውን}} ''yǝ-ḵäwwǝn'' 'he will be', {{lang|gez|ይነብር}} ''yǝ-näbbǝr'' 'he will exist, there will be'.
* The verb of existence together with object suffixes for the possessor expresses possession ('have') and obligation ('must'): {{lang|gez|ኣሎኒ}} ''{{hamza}}allo-nni'' 'I have, I must' ({{lit|there is to}}) me').
* [[Relative clause]]s are expressed by a prefix attached to the verb: {{lang|gez|ዝፈለጠ}} ''zǝ-fäläṭä'' 'who knew'
* [[Cleft sentence]]s, with relative clauses normally following the copula, are very common: {{lang|gez|መን እዩ ዝፈለጠ}} ''män {{hamza}}ǝyyu zǝ-fäläṭä'' 'who knew?' ({{lit|who is he who knew?}}).
* There is an [[accusative case|accusative]] marker used on [[definiteness|definite]] [[object (grammar)|direct objects]]. In Tigrinya this is the prefix ''nǝ-''. For example, {{lang|gez|ሓጐስ ንኣልማዝ ረኺቡዋ}} ''ḥagʷäs '''nǝ'''’almaz räḵibuwwa'' 'Hagos met Almaz'.
* As in other '''modern''' Ethiopian Semitic languages, the default [[word order]] in clauses is subject–object–verb, and noun modifiers usually (though not always in Tigrinya) precede their head nouns.