Impersonal Relative Constructions

Impersonal Relative Constructions

Unit 36 introduces impersonal relative constructions combined with /memsel/ (“to seem, to appear”). These structures allow you to describe how things appear or seem without specifying a particular agent, and are common in everyday Amharic discourse.

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Basic Sentences

Romanized Amharic	English
yämimäTTa yimässïlal.	It seems like someone is coming.
yämihäd yimässïlal.	It seems like someone is going.
yämmiyasazzïn yimässïlal.	It seems saddening.
yämmiyasTäsäsïb yimässïlal.	It seems worrying.
yämmičïl yimässïlal.	It seems possible.
yämayičïl yimässïlal.	It seems impossible.
yämmiKïr näw yämmimässïläw.	It is a cold thing that appears. (It seems cold.)
yämmibällaw mïnïdïn new?	What is it that is eaten? (What is there to eat?)
yämmiTäTTaw mïn allä?	What is there to drink?
yämmišäTTaw mïnïdïn new?	What can be sold?
yämmigäzzaw mïnïm yälläm.	There is nothing to buy.
yämihäd sïra yälläm.	There is no one going to work.

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Key Vocabulary

Romanized Amharic	English
yä- … -al	relative construction (impersonal)
memsel / yimässïlal	it seems, it appears
yämimäTTa	the one who comes / that which comes
yämihäd	the one who goes
yämmičïl	that which is possible
yämayičïl	that which is impossible
yämmibällaw	that which is eaten
yämmiTäTTaw	that which is drunk
yämmišäTTaw	that which can be sold
yämmigäzzaw	that which is bought
mïnïdïn	what (kind of thing)
yälläm	there is not
yämmiyasazzïn	saddening
yämmiyasTäsäsïb	worrying

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Grammar Notes

1. Impersonal Relative Constructions

Impersonal relative constructions use the relative prefix /yä-/ with an imperfective verb form to describe general actions without specifying a subject:

Construction	Literal	Natural Translation
yämmibällaw	that which is eaten	what there is to eat
yämmiTäTTaw	that which is drunk	what there is to drink
yämmišäTTaw	that which is sold	what can be sold
yämmigäzzaw	that which is bought	what can be bought

The suffix /-w/ (or /-aw/) on the relative form marks definiteness.

2. /memsel/ — “To Seem, To Appear”

/memsel/ (imperfective: /yimässïlal/) is used with relative constructions to express how something appears:

Pattern	Example	Translation
relative + yimässïlal	yämimäTTa yimässïlal	It seems someone is coming.
relative + yimässïlal	yämmičïl yimässïlal	It seems possible.
relative + yimässïlal	yämayičïl yimässïlal	It seems impossible.

With personal subjects:

Example	Translation
yämimäTTa yimässïläñal.	It seems to me that someone is coming.
yämihäd yimässïlïhal.	It seems to you (m.) that someone is going.
yämmičïl yimässïlaččäwal.	It seems to her that it is possible.

3. Impersonal Relative as Noun Phrase

Impersonal relatives can serve as noun phrases (subjects or objects):

yämmibällaw mïnïm yälläm. — There is nothing to eat. yämmigäzzaw bïzuh allä. — There is a lot to buy. yämmiTäTTaw bunna bïcca new. — The only thing to drink is coffee.

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Drills

Drill 1 — Formation: Impersonal relative constructions

Cue Verb	Impersonal Relative	English
bälla (ate)	yämmibällaw	what is eaten / to eat
TäTTa (drank)	yämmiTäTTaw	what is drunk / to drink
šäTTa (sold)	yämmišäTTaw	what can be sold
gäzza (bought)	yämmigäzzaw	what can be bought
ayyä (saw)	yämmiyayyäw	what can be seen
sämma (heard)	yämmisämmaw	what can be heard

Drill 2 — Combine with /yimässïlal/

Cue	Response
mäTTa	yämimäTTa yimässïlal. (It seems someone is coming.)
hedä	yämihäd yimässïlal. (It seems someone is going.)
yičïlal	yämmičïl yimässïlal. (It seems possible.)
ayičïlïm	yämayičïl yimässïlal. (It seems impossible.)
zännäbä	yämizänïb yimässïlal. (It seems like it will rain.)

Drill 3 — Answer questions using impersonal relatives

Question	Response
mïn allä yämmibällaw?	ïnjera ïna wäT allä yämmibällaw. (There is injera and stew to eat.)
yämmiTäTTaw mïn allä?	bunna ïna šay allä yämmiTäTTaw. (There is coffee and tea to drink.)
yämmigäzzaw allä?	awon, bïzuh allä yämmigäzzaw. (Yes, there is a lot to buy.)
yämmišäTTaw mïnïm yälläm?	awon, yämmišäTTaw mïnïm yälläm. (Yes, there is nothing to sell.)

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Narrative

wäyzäro Hirut gäbäya hedäčč. gïn yämmigäzzaw bïzuh almässläččïm. “yämmibällaw mïn allä?” alläčč. yäšäTTaw säw — “ïnjera ïna wäT allä, yämmiTäTTaw bunna bïcca new” alä. ïssua “yämmišäTTaw mïnïm yälläm?” bïla TäyyäKäčč. “yälläm” alä. yämimäTTa sïra yimässïlal bälaččäw. yämmičïl yimässïlal nägä gïn yämayičïl honä.

Translation: Mrs. Hirut went to the market. But it didn’t seem to her that there was much to buy. “What is there to eat?” she said. The seller said, “There is injera and stew, the only thing to drink is coffee.” She asked, “Is there nothing to sell?” “There isn’t,” he said. It seems like work is coming tomorrow. It seemed possible, but it turned out to be impossible.