8.2 Adverbs — where, when, how
8 · Particles — the little connecting words · a plain-language guide to Assyrian (Sureth) grammar
An adverb answers where? when? or how? about an action. Assyrian doesn't build them from adjectives with a tidy ending the way English adds -ly; instead there's just a fixed stock of adverb words to learn. Here are the useful ones, grouped.
8.2.1 Place — "here, there, up, down, in, out"
| Assyrian | English | example |
|---|---|---|
| lakhkha, akhkha | here | lakhkha ile — he's here |
| lakhkhane | around here, nearby | lakhkhane ina — they're nearby |
| m-akhkha | from here | khush m-akhkha — go away from here |
| tamma | there (nearish) | tamma ile — he's there |
| tammo | over there (far) | tammo ile — he's over there |
| tama | there (out of sight) | tama ila — she's there |
| tammane | around there | tammane ina — they're around there |
| ullul | above, up | ullul ile — he's upstairs |
| al-ullul | upwards | khush al-ullul — go up |
| eltekh, ultukh | below, underneath | eltekh ila — she's downstairs |
| khut | underneath | khut ile — it's underneath |
| al-eltekh | downwards | khush al-eltekh — go down |
| vaddar, al-vaddar | outside | vaddar ile — he's outside |
| gavay | inside | gavay ila — she's inside |
| baray | behind, out back | baray ile — he's out back |
| la-bara | backwards | khush la-bara — go back |
| a-giba, a-yba | this side | a-yba ile — he's on this side |
| o-giba, o-yba | that side | o-yba ile — he's on that side |
| pi-palga | in the middle | pi-palga ile — it's in the middle |
| kam | in front | kam ile — he's in front |
| la-kama, kamay | forwards | khush la-kama — go forward |
| kha-risha | directly, straight | kha-risha khush — go straight |
Two things worth hearing early. First, the "there" words mirror the this/that pointing system from Chapter 2: tamma (nearish) → tammo (far) → tama (out of sight), just like avva → avvo → av for "that." Second, several of these longer adverbs put their stress unusually early, on the first syllable — lakhkhane ("around here"), kedamta ("in the morning") — so don't be surprised when the accent lands up front.
A place-adverb pairs naturally with the copula from Chapter 3 (which comes last): lakhkha ile "he's here" (and it fuses to lakhkhele), lakhkhena "they're here", ullul ila "she's upstairs", vaddar ile "he's outside".
8.2.2 Time — "now, today, tomorrow, always"
| Assyrian | English | example |
|---|---|---|
| adiyya, adi | now | adiyya khush! — go now! |
| udyu | today | udyu lakhkhele — he's here today |
| ad-lele | tonight | ad-lele — tonight |
| kudme(t verre) | yesterday | kudmet verre — yesterday (the day that passed) |
| kudme(t ate) | tomorrow | kudmet ate — tomorrow (the day that comes) |
| m-kam-kudme | the day before yesterday | m-kam-kudme — the day before yesterday |
| yuma-khina | the day after tomorrow | yuma-khina — the day after tomorrow |
| kedamta | in the morning / tomorrow morning | kedamta khush — go in the morning |
| morisha | in the morning | morisha — in the morning |
| berashe | in the evening, last night | berashe — in the evening |
| jalde | early | jalde khush — come early |
| derrang | late | derrang ile — he's late |
| kamta | earlier, first | kamta — first, beforehand |
| kharta, bara | afterwards | kharta khush — go afterwards |
| a-shita | this year | a-shita — this year |
| shet-verra, bazzuyne | last year | shet-verra — last year |
| hammasha | always | hammasha lakhkhele — he's always here |
| har | ever, always | har — ever, at all |
| medre | again | medre tani — say it again |
| kha-b-kha | suddenly | kha-b-kha — suddenly |
| khakma ga, kha-kha-ga | sometimes | khakma ga — sometimes |
| e-ga | at that time | e-ga — back then |
| hech-dana | never | hech-dana — never |
Notice kudme does double duty — "yesterday" or "tomorrow" depending on the tail (kudmet verre "the one that passed" = yesterday; kudmet ate "the one that comes" = tomorrow). In fast speech people often just say kudme and let context sort it out.
Time-words sit loosely near the front or end of the clause. A few in use: adiyya khush! "go now!", udyu lakhkhele "he's here today", medre tani "say it again", hammasha lakhkhele "he's always here."
8.2.3 Question words — "where, when, how, why, how much"
These overlap with the interrogatives in The question words (Chapter 2); here they are as a quick reference.
| Assyrian | English | example |
|---|---|---|
| ika? | where? | ika ile? — where is he? |
| m-ika? | from where? | m-ika ivet? — where are you from? |
| kele? | where is he? | kele babi? — where's my father? |
| iman? | when? | iman? — when? |
| em-dana? | at what time? | em-dana? — at what time? |
| dakh? / dakhi? | how? | dakh ivet? — how are you? |
| mujjur? | how?, what kind of? | mujjur? — how so? |
| kma? | how much?, how many? | kma? — how much? |
| ka-mudi? / ka-mu? / kam? | why? | ka-mu? — why? |
One handy contraction: ika "where" + the copula fuses to kele? "where is he?", kena? "where are they?" — the i- drops off. And after certain words iman "when" shifts to a d- form diman (e.g. hal diman? "until when?"), the same d- trick you'll meet with prepositions below.
8.2.4 Manner — "well, badly, slowly, quickly"
| Assyrian | English | example |
|---|---|---|
| atkha | thus, like this | atkha khush — go like this |
| jalde | quickly | jalde khush — go quickly |
| nikha | slowly | nikha khush — go slowly |
| nikhunta | very slowly | nikhunta — very slowly |
| spay | well | raba spay — very well |
| jens | well | jens — well, nicely |
| kherba | badly | kherba — badly |
| keshya | hard | keshya — hard |
| khelana | strongly | khelana — strongly |
atkha "like this" is one you'll reach for constantly ("do it like this"); it also has a d- form datkha after certain words.
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