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Module 5
Unit 5: Gender Logic & Biological Roots
Mapping adjectival roots and kinship relations to grammatical gender classes.
Unit 5: Gender Systems
Gender in Oromo is often indicated by root changes or specific adjectival suffixes rather than a universal marker.
Adjectival Gender Suffixes
| Root | Masculine (-eessa) | Feminine (-eettii) |
|---|---|---|
| Rich | Dureessa | Dureettii |
| Poor | Hiyyeessa | Hiyyeettii |
| Expert | Oggeessa | Oggeettii |
Celestial & Geographic Gender
Consistent with ancient Cushitic logic, heavenly bodies and geographic entities are grammatically feminine:
- Urjii (Star) - Fem
- Aduu (Sun) - Fem
- Hara (Lake) - Fem
- Biyya (Land) - Fem