In K’iche’ some nouns change their form when possessed. Here is an overview what can happen when nouns are possessed in K’iche’.
Pascual goes over the parts of the body:
In the following short video, Nela goes over some of the parts of the body, possessed in the first person:
In the following video, Mareike asks some of the students if one of their body parts hurts:
- Nouns with no change when possessed.
Most nouns, simple and derived, do not change form when possessed:
| book | nuwuj | my book | |
| mat | apop | your mat | |
| elote, corn cob | waj | my elote (fresh ear of corn) |
- Nouns that show change in vowel length when possessed.
In dialects in K’iche’ that show phonemic vowel length, the short last vowel of the noun will change into a long vowel when possessed. This is not represented in written K’iche’ in our class (in the following table, long vowels are in bold).
| beans | nukinaq’ | my beans | |
| money | upwaq | her money | |
| cow | iwakax | your cow (you all) | |
| fish | ukar | his/her fish | |
| dog | atz’i’ | your dog | |
| rock | kabaj | their rock |
- Nouns that drop a suffix when possessed (-aj)
Most K’iche’ words for parts of the body drop the suffix –aj when possessed.
| iwaqan | your (pl) leg | |
| nuq’ab’ | my arm, my hand | |
| uwi’ nuq’ab’ | his/her fingers | |
| kiqul | their neck | |
| nujolom | my head | |
| utza’m | his/her/its nose | |
| qaxkin | our ear | |
| nuchi’ | my mouth | |
| uxik’ | his/her/its wing | |
| awi’ | your hair | |
| nuwach | my face | |
| kib’aq’wach | their eye | |
| pam la | your stomach (formal) | |
| nuk’u’x | my chest | |
| apalaj | your face | |
| |
nuch’ek | my knee |
| |
nuch’u’k | my elbow |
| |
nuware’ | my teeth |
| rij | his back |
Plural of complex body parts + possession
| le uwi’ q’ab’aj | finger |
| le uwi’ taq q’ab’aj | fingers |
| le uwi’ le nuq’ab’ | my finger |
| le uwi’ taq le nuq’ab’ | my fingers |
| K’ax le uwi’ taq le nuq’ab’ | My fingers hurt. |
Non-body parts that drop –aj suffix when possessed
| q’u’aj | blanket | nuq’u’ (also: nuk’ul) | my blanket |
| b’i’aj | name | nub’i’ | my name |
| makaj | sin; fault | amak | your sin; your fault |
| k’asaj | debt | nuk’as | my debt |
| sokaj | nest; bed | kisok | their bed |
| ch’akataj | cushion; pillow | nuch’akat | my pillow |
Kinship terms that drop a suffix when possessed: The unpossessed form is used when talking about those kinds relationship as an absolute, without indicating a relationship in particular.
| achajilom | husband (pl.: e achajilom) | wachajil | my husband |
| ixoqilom | wife (pl.: e ixoqilom) | wixoqil | my wife |
| alk’walaxel (-ab’) | child (within a family) | walk’ual | my child (pl: e walk’ual) |
| ji’axel (-ab’) | son-in-law | nuji’ | my son-in-law |
| chaq’ixel (-ab’) | younger siblings (same sex) | nuchaq’ | mi younger sibling |
| k’ajoloxel | child (of father) | nuk’ajol | my son (of father) |
| ula’xel | guest, visitor | wula’ | my guest |
| alb’atz (-ib’) | daughter-in-law | walib’ | my daughter –in-law |
| Qajawixel, k’ajoloxel, uxlab’ixel | Father, Son, and Holy Sprit | ||
“Inalienable possession” (Add suffix –Vl)
Inalienable possession indicates an intrinsic relationship with the possessor; or it describes a quality of the possessor; the suffix indicates that the noun is now inalienable: These nouns indicate a close relationship with the possessor nouns. The same suffix also serves to derive abstract nouns.
| ib’och’ | veins | rib’och’il | his veins/ veins belonging to her |
| sib’ | smoke | usib’el le q’aq’ | the smoke of the fire |
| kik’ | blood | nuk’ik’el | my blood/ the blood belonging to me |
| ajaw | lord | rajawal | the lord of/over |
| b’aq | bone | nub’aqil | my body |
| utz + wachaj | good + face | rutzil wachaj | a greeting |
| che’ + -ij | tree + back | uch’e’el wij | my spinal column |
Nouns that are always possessed. These nouns usually appear only as a possessed noun:
| -xaq | leaf/leaves | uxaq che’ | tree leaves |
| -a’ | foot | wa’ | my foot |
| -ij | back, shell, skin | rij | its shell, skin, back |
| -je’ | tail | uje’ koj | lion’s tail |
| -al | child of mother | ral le al We’l | We’l’s child |
| -achalal | sibling (pl: e –achalal) | e wachalal | my sibligins |
| -achi’l | friend (pl.: e –achi’l) | e qachi’il | our friends |
Suppletives:
A few K’iche’ nouns have a distinct (suppletive) form when they are possessed.
| ja | a house (building) | r-o’ch | his/her/its house |
| q’u’aj | blanket | nuq’u’/nuk’ul | my blanket |
Possessed compound nouns: u-NOUN+ NOUN
There are numerous compound words in K’iche’ made up of two nouns, a possessed noun followed by the possessor noun. When these compound nouns are possessed the possessive pronoun is added to the second element:
| uchi’ ja | door (lit. the house’s mouth) | uchi’ wo’ch | my door |
| uwi’ ja | roof (lit. the house’s hair) | uwi’ awo’ch | your roof |
| uxaq wuj | page(s) (lit. the book’s leaves) | uxaq nuwuj | the page(s) of my book |
Note: remember that -o’ch is used for possessed “house”, also in a compound noun
| upa ja | family | upa wo’ch | my family |
Possessed compound noun: attribute (+a) + noun
| Kem + tz’ib’ | kematz’ib’ | nukematz’ib’ (neologism) | my computer |
| Nim + q’ij | nimaq’ij | unimaq’ij | its feast day; party |
| Saq + po’t | saqapo’t | asaqapo’t | your white huipil |
Possessed compound noun : noun + noun (couplet)
In couplets, one concept is expressed by two ideas, both of which contribute to the understanding of the whole. This rhetoric device is very common in Mayan languages, especially in ceremonial or more formal speech. When a couplet appears in a possessed context, both elements will be possessed:
| Ati’t “grandmother” + mam “grandfather” | ancestors, forefathers | qati’t qamam | our ancestors, forefathers |
| Nan “mother” + tat “father” | parents | qanan qatat | our parents |
| Il “sin” + mak “fault” | trespasses | qil qamak | our trespasses |
With a partner, practice the parts of the body, both possessed and unpossessed, and ask each other if they hurt.
For extra practice on body parts, both possessed and unpossessed, you may watch the following video again: