Belarusian/Lesson 14
Foreign Names in Belarusian
[edit | edit source]When foreign proper names are written in Belarusian, they are normally transcribed, not transliterated. For example, the name Peter would be written as Пітэр, not Пэтэр, because the first e here stands for a long i sound. Some rules for English sounds that do not exist in Belarusian:
Diphtongues having i as their second element are represented by a vowel+й combination in Belarusian.
Бра́йтан Brighton
Ро́нальд Рэ́йган Ronald Reagan
The ng sound is represented by нг combination.
Да́унінг-стрыт Downing street
The th sound is usually represented by т.
Саутге́мптан Southampton
Плімут Plimouth
However, in most Greek borrowings this sound is represented by ф.
Афiны Athens
Кары́нф Corynth
Марафо́н Marathon
(In tarashkievica т is used in such cases: Атэны Athens, Кары́нт Corynth, Марафо́н Marathon)
The w sound is usually represented by у though sometimes it may be represented by в.
Уiльям William
Уэ́льс Wales
(In tarashkievica short u is usually used, though it breaks the rule that Ў can't precede vowels: Ўiльям William, Ўэ́льс Wales)
In German proper names this phonetical principle is, however, violated.
The ei and eu combinations are represented by эй (ей) though they are read as ай and ой in German.
Альбе́рт Эйнштэ́йн Albert Einstein
Зiгмунд Фрэйд Sigmund Freud
German words with the h sound have the г letter in Belarusian.
Герц Hertz
Гiтлер Hitler
This is not so with English words having this sound.
аэрапо́рт Хiтроу Heathrow airport
хэло́уiн halloween
Adjectives Derived from Nouns
[edit | edit source]Most nouns have corresponding adjectives. An adjective derived from a noun N usually means "having some relation to N" and thus is similar to the genitive.
Adjectives are usually used to denote a relation to a noun as a concept whereas the genitive would be used to denote a relation to a certain object belonging to the class denoted by this noun.
шко́льны наста́ўнік a school teacher
дырэ́ктар шко́лы the headmaster of the school
царко́ўная літарату́ра church literature
ку́пал царквы́ the dome of the church
Гэ́та жано́чы го́лас. This is a voice of a woman (not of a man).
Гэ́та го́лас той жанчы́ны. This is the voice of that woman.
With nouns denoting unique objects, particularly, with proper names, the adjectives and the genitive are interchangeable.
со́нечны свет = свет Со́нца sunlight = the light of the Sun
ло́нданскі мэр = мэр Ло́ндана the London meyor = the mayor of London
Adjectives are usually derived from nouns with the help of different suffixes. The most common of them is the н suffix.
маро́з frost - маро́зны дзень a frosty day
гара́ a mountain - го́рная краіна a mountainous country
футбо́л football - футбо́льны матч a football match
Note that adjectives formed from nouns ending in л obtain a soft sign to make л soft.
Some other suffixes, that are used less often, include:
- ов (ёв)
вёска a village - вяско́вы хло́пец a village boy
по́ле a field - палёвая мыш a field mouse
по́шта post; mail - пашто́вая скры́ня a mailbox
- оўн
пра́ца work - працо́ўны дзень a working day
- альн
тэа́тр a theatre - тэатра́льная ка́са a theatre desk
- ск
го́рад a city; a town - гарадска́я пло́шча a town square
мо́ра a sea - марскія хва́лі sea waves
This suffix is used with most geographical names.
Віцебск Vitebsk - віцебскі трамва́й a Vitebsk tram
Украіна Ukraine - украінская мо́ва the Ukrainian language
Note that adjectives derived from proper names are not capitalized in Belarusian.
The Second Conjugation of Verbs
[edit | edit source]This group includes mainly the verbs ending in ыць or іць. However, a number of verbs having other endings also belong to the second conjugation. Here are the typical endings for the second conjugation.
| Infinitive | я | ты | ён (яна, яно) | мы | вы | яны | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ыць | у | ыш | ыць | ым | ыце | аць | |
| іць | ю | іш | іць | імм | іце | яць | |
| куры́ць | куру́ | ку́рыш | ку́рыць | ку́рым | ку́рыце | ку́раць | smoke |
| маўча́ць | маўчу́ | маўчы́ш | маўчы́ць | маўчы́м | маўчы́це | маўча́ць | keep silence |
| мро́іць | мро́ю | мро́іш | мро́іць | мро́ім | мро́іце | мро́яць | dream |
Exercizes
[edit | edit source]Proper Names
[edit | edit source]Write these names in Belarusian.
Sharon Stone
Margatet Thatcher
Joanne Rowling
Winston Churchill
Neville Chamberlaine
George Orwall
Lewis Carroll
Michael Owen
Clue: Шэран Стоун, Маргарэт Тэтчар, Джоан Роулінг, Уінстан Чэрчыль, Нэвіл Чэмбрлен, Джордж Оруэл, Льюіс Кэрал, Майкл Оуэн
Verbs Conjugation
[edit | edit source]Conjugate these verbs taking note that they belong to the second conjugation:
ма́рыць (dream)
гарэ́ць (burn)
Translation
[edit | edit source]Translate into Belarusian.
(1) That sea bird is beautiful.
(2) That is the shore (бераг) of the Minsk sea [a water repository to the North of Minsk].
(3) That man is a school techer.
(4) There are three tables here.
(5) They are silent and smoking.
(6) The house is burning.
(7) Here are five church books.
Clue: (1) Тая марская птушка прыгожая. (2) Гэта бераг Мінскага мора. (3) Гэты мужчына - школьны настаўнік. (4) Тут чатыры сталы. (5) Яны маўчаць і кураць. (6) Хата гарыць. (7) Тут пяць царкоўных кніг.