Hi everyone!
Continuing today with our fuS7a to shaami reboot, I’d like to briefly introduce the independent pronouns. If you’ve studied fuS7a, the distinction between independent and attached pronouns (which we’ll cover in another post) will not be new to you.
The system
Syrian has eight distinct pronouns. Their independent versions are as follows:
|
Singular |
Plural | |
| أنا 2ana I, me |
نحنا |
|
|
انتي |
انت 2inte you (m.) |
انتو 2intu you (p.) |
| هو huwwe he, him |
هي hiyye she, her |
هنه |
This is a simpler system than fuS7a. As I noted in the post on singular and plural, there are no distinct dual forms to worry about: the plural covers any number other than ‘one’. Syrian also makes no gender distinctions in the plural, with straightforward second person and third person plural forms.
Uses
The functions of these pronouns are much the same as they are in fuS7a. For the most part, they serve to express contrast. For example, when the topic changes in an exchange like the following:
|
كيفك؟ |
أنا منيح. انت كيفك؟ |
More broadly, they are used after suffixed pronouns or verb suffixes to emphasise the identity of the suffix, with stress placed on the pronoun:
|
بحبني أنا |
سرك انتي! sirrek 2inti! it’s your secret (not mine) |
| رحت أنا ri7et 2ana I went |
بشتغل أنا |
In final position, they can also be used in a trailing way, giving a sort of afterthought feel:
|
بحبك أنا |
مجنون هو |
They are also used in various contexts where English also uses a pronoun on its own. For example:
|
مين راح؟ |
أنا |