3.3 The "here it is / there it is" copulas (deictic)
3 · The Copula — "am / is / are" (and "was / were") · a plain-language guide to Assyrian (Sureth) grammar
("Deictic," said DYKE-tik, just means pointing — words like this / that / here / there.) Assyrian has two special presentative copulas — for dramatically pointing something out, like French voici / voilà or "here he is!" / "there it is, way over there!"
Near — "here it is" (du-):
| dule | here he is |
| dula | here she is |
| duna | here they are |
(2nd/1st persons exist too: duvet, duvat, duven, duvan, duvakh — often shortened to dut, dun, dukh in fast speech.)
Far — "there it is, yonder" (ve-):
| vele | there he is (far off) |
| vela | there she is |
| vena | there they are |
The far set is used mostly in the 3rd person. Reach for these when you're literally presenting or pointing something out, not for plain "he is."
Go deeper
| Assyrian | English | from |
|---|---|---|
| dula kheta | here she is, alive (= she's alive!) | A 1:37 |
| dule lakhkha | here he is | A 6:12 |
| gash yemmi dula | look, here is my mother | A 44:12 |
| vela mesha kurba | the forest is over there, nearby | A 37:14 |
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