a-practical-kurdish-grammar

244 A PRACTICAL KURDISH GRAMMAR
The preposition y (bo) 'to', may sometimes be used in
connection with the suffix |oj (wa) 'wards'. Examples:
y^ o3py>- y (bo khij-ara-wa chii) 'He went down-ward';
y 0333J y^ (bo zhiira-wa chu) 'He went in-ward'.
In like manner the prepositional suffix 4 (-a) may be used
with oj (wa) for the locative. Example: oyyi- aI\a
(hat-a sharia-wa) 'He came into the City'.
Conjunctions
The copulative conjunction jl (yan) 'or', is often omitted
between the cardinals. Example : ^jS py>: y (se chuar
kas) 'Three (or) four persons'. On the other hand, it is often
repeated at the head of successive clauses: j' yi y y
yl jL : yj c^jû (yan amin dabe aii karai bikam, yan atfl)
'Either I must do this work, or you (must do it)'.
Modes of Address in Kurdish
The various Arabic, Turkish and Persian modes of address
are often employed ; but the more suitable words in Kurdish
are y\^ (janabi) 'honorable', and y>_y^ (tashrifi) 'his
lordship', 'his excellency'. (_jj^- (janabi) is much used in
letter-writing instead of Mr. ,
Supplications
A very common phrase of supplication is, (_^^U- Sy^ ji
(bo khater khöllai) 'For God's sake They also frequently
say, j->*^ Sj^^ y (ho khatir-i peghambar) 'For the
prophet's sake!'; OjjJ S}''^ y (ho khatir-i kurit) 'For
your son's sake!', etc.
The most .common phrase of suplication, however, is