Grammar

Four key ideas of Mundari grammar

Mundari word order is SOV β€” first the subject, then the object, and the verb right at the end. Nouns do not change form for gender or number; the work is done by postpositions (-πž“£πž“€ -re in, -πž“πž“€ -te to / with, -πž“•πž“πž“€ -ate from) and by small markers attached to the verb.

Pronouns β€” two forms of β€œwe”

SingularDualPlural
I / we (including the listener)aΓ±alaΕ‹abu
We (excluding the listener)β€”aliΕ‹ale
Youamabenape
He / she / theyaeΚ”akinako

The biggest differences from Hindi and English: Mundari has a dual (a separate form for exactly two), and two words for β€œwe” β€” πž“•πž“—πž“Ÿ abu when the listener is included, πž“•πž“’πž“€ ale when not. For possession, add -πž“•πž“™ -aΚ”: πž“•πž“˜-πž“•πž“™ aΓ±-aΚ” mine, πž“•πž“§-πž“•πž“™ am-aΚ” yours.

Building a verb

πž“–πž“πž“§ jom = to eat. From this one root:

πž“–πž“πž“§-πž“πž“•-πž“¨-πž“• jom-ta-n-a β€” is eating (continuous tense)
πž“–πž“πž“§-πž“’πž“€-πž“‘-πž“• jom-ke-d-a β€” has eaten (completed)
πž“•-πž“–πž“πž“§ a-jom β€” to feed someone
πž“›πž“€πž“¨πž“πž“™-πž“πž“•-πž“¨-πž“• senoΚ”-ta-n-a β€” is going Β· πž“›πž“€πž“¨πž“πž“¦-πž“• senog-a β€” will go / goes

How do you say β€œI have …”?

Mundari has no verb like β€œhave”. You say β€” β€œis there a book with you?”:

πž“•πž“§-πž“πž“•πž“™-πž“£πž“€ πž“’πž“šπž“πž“•πž“— πž“§πž“€πž“¨πž“•πž“™?
Am-taΚ”-re kitab menaΚ”? β€” Do you have a book?
πž“•πž“˜-πž“πž“•πž“™-πž“£πž“€ πž“›πž“€πž“πž“•-πž“’πž“ πž“§πž“€πž“¨πž“•πž“™-πž“’πž“-πž“•.
AΓ±-taΚ”-re seta-ko menaΚ”-ko-a. β€” I have dogs.
The negative forms are different words: πž“—πž“•πž“¨πž“πž“™ banoΚ” (for inanimate things), πž“—πž“•πž“”πž“¦πž“•πž“šπž“™-πž“• baΕ‹gaiΚ”-a (for living beings, β€œhe/she is not there”).

Negation β€” πž“’πž“• β€œka”

To say β€œno / not”, put πž“’πž“• ka before the verb: πž“’πž“•-πž“˜ πž“‘πž“•πž“£πž“š-πž“• ka-Γ± dari-a β€œI cannot do it”; πž“•πž“Ÿπž“£πž“š auri means β€œnot yet / not so far”.

Question words

πž“πž“’πž“πž“€ okoe who Β· πž“’πž“•πž“¨πž“• cana what Β· πž“’πž“πž“£πž“€ kore where Β· πž“ πž“šπž“§πž“πž“•πž“” cimtaΕ‹ when Β· πž“›πž“šπž“’πž“šπž“’πž“•πž“πž“€ cilikate why Β· πž“›πž“šπž“§πž“šπž“¨πž“•πž“” ciminaΕ‹ how much. Yes–no questions end with πž“›πž“š? ci?

Number β€” -πž“’πž“šπž“¨ / -πž“’πž“ -kin / -ko

πž“›πž“€πž“πž“• seta dog β†’ πž“›πž“€πž“πž“•-πž“’πž“šπž“¨ seta-kin two dogs β†’ πž“›πž“€πž“πž“•-πž“’πž“ seta-ko dogs (many). Gender is only living vs non-living β€” there is no masculine / feminine.