Basic kinship terms in Rohingya
In this lesson we will look at Rohingya words and expressions related to family relations. Present your family with sentences like: Iba ãrar fuwa. Hitar nam Tim. “This is our son. His name is Tim.”
Before we start, it is helpful to learn how a simple sentence, like “This is my father,” is structured in Rohingya. Every language has a system, in which there are certain structures and rules that help the hearer know who or what the speaker is talking about. The Rohingya language is no exception.
Simple sentences without a verb
The predicate is part of the sentence that says something about the Subject. In the sentence Iba ãrar zi “This (is) our daughter,” ãrar zi “our daughter” is the Predicate and iba “this” is the Subject.
In Rohingya, it is very common to express the idea of ‘X is Y’ by simple juxtaposition. The normal pattern for sentences with non-verbal predicates is:
Subject (Linking Verb) Predicate.
The linking verbs oilde “be (PRES)” and aššilde “be (PAST) is optional, as indicated by the brackets.
| Iba ãrar zi. | "This is our daughter." |
| Hibar nam Anna. | "Her name is Anna." |
| Hibattu zamai ase. | "She has a husband." |
| Hitar nam Tim. | "His name is Tim." |
| Hitarattu duizon fuwain ase. | "They have two children" |
| Iba ãrar fuwa. | "This is our son." |
| Hitar nam Bob. | "His name is Bob." |
| Hite ekkan. | "He is single." |
ma /mɑ/– “mother”
fuwa /ˈfuʷʌ/ – “child, son”
ḍõr /ɖõɾ/ – “big”
šõṛo /ʃõɽɔ/ – “little, small”
boin /bɔⁱn/ – “sister”
nati /ˈnɑtʰɪ/ – “grand-son”
natini /nɑtɪni/ – “grand-daughter”
morod fuwa /məˈɾɔdfuʷʌ/ – “boy, male child”
zer fuwa /ˈzɛɾfuʷʌ/ – “girl, female child”
duizon /ˈduⁱzɔn/ – “two (NC1)“
ase /ˈɑsɪ/ – “have”
hor /hɔr/ – “father-in-law”
hori /ˈhɔrɪ/ – “mother-in-law”
hor hori /ˈhɔɾhɔrɪ/ – “parents-in-law”
sasa /ˈsɑsʌ/ – “younger uncle (on father’s side)“
sasi /ˈsɑsɪ/ – “younger uncle’s wife”
jeṛa /ˈd͡ʒɛɽʌ/ – “older uncle (on father’s side)“
jeṛi /ˈd͡ʒɛɽɪ/ – “older uncle’s wife”
fui /fuⁱ/ – “aunt (father’s sister)“
mũi /mũⁱ/ – “aunt (mother’s sister)“