FSI Amharic Level I
Table of Contents





 
Preface   iii
Introduction   xvi
     
UNIT 1    
Symbols used   1
Basic Sentences   2
Notes:    
    1.1  Transcription used   3
    1.2  Vowels   4
    1.3  Consonants   7
    1.3.1  Plain Consonants   7
    1.3.2  Glottalized Consonants   9
Drills   9
     
UNIT 2    
Basic Sentences   12
Notes:    
    2.1  Masculine Definite Suffix /-u~-w/   13
    2.2   'and' /-(i)nna/   14
Drills   15
     
UNIT 3    
Basic Sentences   19
Notes:    
    3.1  Independent Pronouns   22
    3.2  Suffix Pronouns   23
    3.2.1  Verb Suffix Pronouns   23
    3.3  Loss of Vowels   21
    3.4  /w/ and /y/ glides   24
    3.5  Verb 'be'   25
    3.6  Formation of Plural   25
    3.7   Transitional Vowel /í/   26
Drills   27
     
UNIT 4    
Basic Sentences   29
Notes:    
    4.1  Noun Suffix Pronouns   31
    4.2  Amharic equivalents of 'have' and 'have not'   32
    4.3  Feminine Definite Suffix /-wa~-(y) itu~-(y)itwa/   33
    4.4  Definite Suffix on Modifier   34
    4.5  Suffix /-(i)n/ - Specific Direct Object   35
    4.6  Preposition   35
    4.6.1  Preposition /b(ə)-/ and /bəst(ə)-/   35
Drills   36
     
UNIT 5    
Basic Sentences   43
Notes:    
    5.1  Verb: Perfective   46
    5.2  'have' and 'have not' with feminine object   49
    5.3  Verb Suffix Pronouns with Perfective   49
    5.4  Verb Suffix Pronouns used in apposition   51
    5.5  Prepositions   /k(ə)-/, /isk(ə)-/ and /l(ə)-/   51
    5.5.1  /k(ə)-/ 'from'   52
    5.5.2  /isk(ə)-/ and /isk(ə) -...dires/ 'up to', 'to'   52
    5.5.3  /l(ə)-/ 'for', 'to'   52
    5.6  Postpositions /wisT/ and /lay/ combined with prefixes /b(ə)-/ or /i-/   52
    5.7  Suffixes /-iyye/ and /-iyyo/ to nouns   53
    5.7.1  Definite Suffixes /-iyyew/ and /iyyewa/   53
    5.8  Numerals; Ordinals   53
Drills   54
Narrative   55
     
UNIT 6    
Basic Sentences   57
Notes:    
    6.1  Relational Prefix /y(ə)-/   59
    6.2  Verb: Infinitive   60
    6.3  Verb: Imperfective   61
    6.4  Verb Classification   63
    6.4.1  Regular Three-Radical Verbs   63
    6.4.2  Regular Two-Radical Verbs   65
    6.5  Verb: Notation   65
    6.6  Postposition /gar~gara/ combined with prefix /k(ə)-/   65
    6.7  Use of /k(ə)-...bəfit/ and /k(ə)-...bəhwala/   66
Drills   66
Narrative   69
     
UNIT 7    
Basic Sentences   71
Notes:    
    7.1  Verb Suffix Pronouns with Imperfective   73
    7.2  Equivalents of 'had' and 'had not'   77
Drills   77
Narrative   80
     
UNIT 8    
Basic Sentences   81
Notes:    
    8.1  Time   82
    8.2  Suffix /-(i)m/   84
    8.3  Suffix /-(i)ss/   84
Drills   84
Narrative   88
     
UNIT 9    
Basic Sentences   89
Notes:    
    9.1  Imperfective forms connected by /-(i)nna/   92
    9.2  Negative Perfective   92
    9.3  Short Imperfective   93
    9.4  Negative Imperfective   95
    9.5  Negative Infinitive   99
Drills   100
Narrative   103
     
UNIT 10    
Basic Sentences   105
Notes:    
    10.1  Relational Affixes to Verbs   107
    10.1.1  Relational Affix /y(ə)-~yəmm(i)-/ in Relative Constructions   107
    10.2  Affix /ind(ə)-/   110
    10.2.1  /ind(ə)-/ 'like', etc.   110
    10.2.2  /ind(ə)-...yallə/ 'such as', etc.   111
    10.2.3  /ind(ə)-/ 'as soon as'   111
    10.2.4  /ind(ə)-/ with Relative Constructions 'that'   111
Drills   112
Narrative   118
     
UNIT 11    
Basic Sentences   120
Notes:    
    11.1  Verb: Regular Two-Radical Verbs in /ə/   121
    11.2  Verb: Gerund   122
    11.3  Verb: Present Perfect   126
    11.4  Verb: Past Perfect   127
    11.5  Verb: Imperfect (Past)   128
Drills   129
Narrative   132
     
UNIT 12    
Basic Sentences   133
Notes:    
    12.1  Telling Time   136
    12.2  Verb: Jussive   136
    12.3  Verb: Imperative   140
    12.4  Relational Affix /iyy(ə)-/ with nouns   144
    12.5  Relational Affix /iyy(ə)-/ with verbs   144
    12.6  Relational Affix /s(i)-/   145
    12.7  /abro/ 'both', 'together'   147
Drills   148
Narrative   153
     
UNIT 13    
Basic Sentences   155
Notes:    
    13.1  Relational Affixes /l(i)-/ and /-(i)ll(i)-~-(i)llə-/   158
    13.1.1  /l(i)-/ with Short Imperfective   159
    13.1.2  /l(i)-/ with Short Imperfective plus /nəw/ or /nəbber/   159
    13.1.3  /-(i)ll(i)-~-(i)ll(ə)-/   159
    13.2  Relational Affixes /isk(i)-/ and /isk(ə)-/   160
    13.2.1  /isk(ə)-/ with Relative Constructions   161
Drills   161
Narrative   163
     
UNIT 14    
Basic Sentences   165
Notes:    
    14.1  Demonstrative Pronouns   168
    14.2  Noun: Gender   169
    14.3.1  Relational Affix /b(i)-/ 'if'   172
    14.3.2  Relational Affix /b(i)-/ 'because'   175
    14.4  Suffix /-(i)bb(i)-/   176
    14.5  Prefix /b(ə)-/ with Relative Clauses   178
    14.5.1  /b(ə)-...gize/   178
    14.5.2  /b(ə)-...KuTir/   178
    14.6  /b(ə)-...mikniyat/   179
    14.7  Relational Affix /sil(ə)-~siləmm(i)-/   179
Drills   180
Narrative   186
     
UNIT 15    
Basic Sentences   188
Notes:    
    15.1  Verb: /a-/ verbs   189
    15.2  Verb: Causatives in /a-/ and /as-/   190
    15.2.1  Causative Verbs in /a-/   191
    15.2.2  Causative Verbs in /as-/   191
    15.3  Passive-Reflexive Verbs   191
    15.4   Classification and Notation   195
    15.5  Relational Affix /k(ə)-/ with Perfective   197
    15.5.1  /k(ə)-/ 'if'   197
    15.5.2  /k(ə)-/ 'since'   198
Drills   198
Narrative   205
     
UNIT 16    
Basic Sentences   206
Notes:    
    16.1  Relational Affix /ind(i)-/   208
    16.2  Pronoun /ras-/ 'self'   208
    16.3  Regular Four-Radical Verbs   209
    16.4  Three- and Four-Radical Verbs in /-o-/   210
    16.5  Verb: Noun of Agent   210
    16.6  Verb: Noun of Instrument   212
    16.7  Use of /wəyim/ and /wəyiss/ 'or'   213
Drills   214
Narrative   215
     
UNIT 17    
Basic Sentences   217
Notes:    
    17.1  Verb: Classification   219
    Chart I:  Regular Three-Radical Verbs   222
    Chart II:  Regular Three-Radical /a-/ Verbs   223
    Chart III:  Regular Two-Radical Verbs in /-a/   224
    Chart IV:  Regular Two-Radical Verbs in /-ə/   225
    Chart V:  Regular Four-Radical Verbs   226
Drills   227
Narrative   230
     
UNIT 18    
Basic Sentences   232
Notes:    
    18.1  Verb: Use of /yihonal/   233
    18.2  Use of /gəna/   234
Drills   235
Narrative   239
     
UNIT 19    
Basic Sentences   240
Notes:    
    19.1  Comparative and Superlative   241
Drills   243
Narrative   245
     
UNIT 20    
Basic Sentences   247
Notes:    
    20.1  Verb Classification, Two-Radical Verbs, types məla2, məlo2, məle2, mələ2   248
    Chart VI/1:  məla2   250
    Chart VI/2:  məlo2   251
    Chart VI/3:  məle2   251
    Chart VI/4:  mələ2   252
    20.2  Verb: Impersonal Constructions   252
    20.3  Verb: Present Perfect of verbs denoting 'state' or 'condition'   253
Drills   255
Narrative   256
     
UNIT 21    
Basic Sentences   256
Drills   260
Narrative   261
     
UNIT 22    
Basic Sentences   263
Drills   265
Narrative   267
     
 
UNIT 23    
Basic Sentences   268
Notes:    
    23.1  Plural Affix /inn(ə)-/   270
    23.2  Question Words   271
    23.2.1  /man/   271
    23.2.2  /min/ or /mindin/   273
    23.2.3  /yət/   274
    23.2.4  /yətu/, /yətiññaw/ and /manniññaw/   274
    23.3  /manniññawim/ or /mannaccəwim/   275
    23.4  /mannim/ and /minimm/   275
    23.5  /minimm/ with /ində-/   276
Drills   277
Narrative   278
     
UNIT 24    
Basic Sentences   280
Notes:    
    24.1  Verb: Short form of /madrəg/   283
    24.2  Use of /giddeta/ with /alləbb-/, /honəbb-/, /nəbbərəbb-/   283
Drills   284
Narrative   288
     
UNIT 25    
Basic Sentences   291
Notes:    
    25.1  Repetition and Reduplication   292
    25.1.1  Repetition   293
    25.1.2  Partial Reduplication   293
    25.1.3  Complete Reduplication   294
    25.2  Use of /madrəgiya/   295
Drills   295
Narrative   297
     
UNIT 26    
Basic Sentences   300
Notes:    
    26.1  Suffix /-(i)nnət/   301
    26.2  Verb: The use of /məKnat/   302
Drills   303
Narrative   307
     
UNIT 27    
Basic Sentences   309
Notes:    
    27.1  Suffix /ə/ in compound words   310
    27.2  Plural after numerals   311
Drills   312
Narrative   313
     
UNIT 28    
Basic Sentences   315
Notes:    
    28.1  Verb: Hypothetical Conditional   317
    28.2  Affix /ind(ə)-/ with /allə-/ and /honə-/   318
    28.3  Impersonal Verbs   319
Drills   320
Narrative   321
     
UNIT 29    
Basic Sentences   327
Notes:    
    29.1  Verb Classification: Three-Radical Verbs in /-a-/   328
    Chart VII  NAME   329
    29.2  Use of /mikniyatu/ combined with /silə-/ and /siləmm(i)-/ affixes and the verb form /nəw/   329
    29.3  /k(ə)-...yətənəssa/   330
Drills   330
Narrative   332
     
UNIT 30    
Basic Sentences   334
Notes:    
    30.1  Compound Verbs with /malət/ and /madrəg/   335
    30.1.1  Verb: Inconclusive Aspect   338
Drills   340
Narrative   342
     
UNIT 31    
Basic Sentences   344
Notes:    
    31.1  /b(ə)-...bəkkul/   345
    31.2  Use of /bicca/ with Noun Suffix Pronouns and Direct Object Suffix /-(i)n/ &n