4.9. Other Conjunctions
4.9.2. መጠነ maṭana, አምጣነ ʾamṭāna and ዐቅመ ʿaqma
መጠነ maṭana and አምጣነ ʾamṭāna are nouns in status constructus. The nominatives መጠን maṭan and አምጣን ʾamṭān are originally related with the verb መጠነ maṭṭana
‘measure’ or ‘weigh’. ዐቅመ ʿaqm is also a noun in status constructus. The nominative ዐቅም ʿaqm is etymologically related with the verb ዐቀመ ʿaqqama ‘measure’, ‘delimit’
and ‘decide’.
They are used to express measurement, amount, weight, duration, size, correspondence, distance, capacity, dignity, status, limit, quantity and equality. The following constructed phrases have correspondences with them: ‘as much as’, ‘as long as’, ‘as far as’, ‘as often as’, ‘to such extent’, ‘as many as’, ‘as large as’, ‘in accordance with’ and ‘as strong as’.193 References: Josh. 10:13; Ps. 103:33; Prov. (com.) 1:22; Matt.
10:25; Acts 17:26; Rev. 11:6
አምጣነ ʾamṭāna has two characteristics like አምሳለ ʾamsāla. First, it is the accusative plural form of መጠን maṭan. Second, it is an equivalent noun with maṭan itself with the same number and meaning.
All the three elements can play the roles of both conjunctional and prepositional elements, they are added to verbs (perfectives and imperfectives). They will also be attached to the non-verbal elements when they function as prepositions. In both cases, they always take the first position in the attachment.
Some elements such as በ ba, በበ babba, እም ʾǝm and በከመ ba-kama can be affixed to them initially in all cases to magnify them.194
Textual evidences:
4.9.2.1. ወባሕቱ፡ በአምጣነ፡ ታጸንዕ፡ ልበከ፡ ወኢትኔስሕ፡ ትዘግብ፡ ለከ፡ መቅሠፍተ።
(Rom. 2:5).
wa-bāḥəttu ba-ʾamṭāna tāṣannǝʿ ləbba-ka wa-ʾi-tənessəḥ
<Conj-Conj> <Prep-Conj> <V-Imperf.2m.s> <NCom:unm.s.Acc-PSuff:> <Conj-
təzaggəb la-ka maqśafta
PartNeg-V:Imperf.2m.s> <V:Imperf.2m.s> <Prep-PSuff:2m.s> <NCom:unm.s.Acc>
193 Dillmann 1865, 221-222, 975; Kidāna Wald Kǝfle 1955, 129; Leslau 1989, 46, 173; Tropper 2002, 148.
194 Leslau 2006, 373; Tropper 2002, 148.
Conjunctions
168
‘But as much as you harden your heart, and not repent, you store punishment for yourself’.
4.9.2.2. እገኒ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ በአምጣነ፡ ሀሎኩ። (Ps. 103:33).
ʾəganni la-ʾəgziʾabəḥer ba-ʾamṭāna halloku
<V:Imperf.1c.s> <Prep-NProp:m.s.Nom> <Prep-Conj> <V:Perf.1c.s>
‘I will sing to the Lord as long as I live’.
Further references: Matt. 25:15; Mark 4:33; Anap.John (com.) verse 28.
Apart from this, maṭana and ʾamṭāna have individually additional uses and meanings. Maṭana is used to magnificently express emotions, feelings and greatness/
hugeness of things or situations accompanied with the interrogative particle ሚ mi ‘how’
or ‘what’.
Textual evidence:
4.9.2.3. ሚ፡ መጠን፡ ግርምት፡ ዛቲ፡ ዕለት። (Litu. (com.) verse. 1).
mi maṭan gǝrǝmt zātti ʿǝlat
<Int> <Ncom:unm.s.Nom> <Ncom:f.s.Nom > <PPers:f.s.Nom> <Ncom:fs.s.Nom>
‘How tremendous is this day!’.
This depends, however, on the state of the word which comes after maṭana. If ውእቱ wǝʾǝtu or ይእቲ yǝʾǝti takes the position of a main verb detectably or undetectably, the element tends to have the feature mentioned above. Otherwise, it will have the common function of query concerning quantity or amount with the meaning
‘how much?’ or ‘how many?’.
Textual evidence:
4.9.2.4. ሚ፡ መጠን፡ ኀባውዝ፡ ብክሙ። (Matt. 15:34).
mi maṭan ḫabāwǝz bǝ-kǝmu
<Int> <NCom:unm.p.Nom> <ExAff-PSuff:2m.p>
‘How many loaves do you have?’.
It can also be used in the place of ከመ kama in some cases.
Textual evidence:
4.9.2.5. ኢትሬኢኑ፡ መጠነ፡ ይበልዕ፡ ወይሰቲ። (Dan. 13:6).
ʾi-tǝreʾi-nu maṭana yǝballǝʿ wa-yǝsatti
<PartNeg-V: Imperf-2m.s-PartInt> <Conj-V:Imperf.3m.s> <Conj-V:Imperf.3m.s>
‘Do not you see as he eats and drinks?’.
Conjunctions
169
When we come to ʾamṭāna, we find two more features and meanings which it shares commonly with አኮኑ ʾakkonu, እስመ ʾǝsma and እንዘ ʾǝnza. Like ʾakkonu and ʾǝsma, it is used as a conjunction combining clauses by facilitating the subordinate clause to give up a reason for the action or incidence mentioned in the main clause. This will be discussed in fact later with ʾakkonu and ʾǝsma.
It can keep the notion of the conjunctive phrase ‘since’/ ‘while’ in the place of ʾǝnza. At this point, the only difference between ʾǝnza and ʾamṭāna is the limitation of verbal forms which they can be combined with; ʾǝnza is combined only with imperfectives including prepositions, adverbs and nouns; however, it is not added to perfectives since it has an imperfective meaning. The only perfective verb which is found in texts being combined with ʾǝnza is ሀሎ hallo or ሀለወ hallawa. But to ʾamṭāna, the combination with perfectives and imperfectives is equally possible.
Textual evidence:
4.9.2.6. ኢየኀዝኑ፡ ደቂቁ፡ ለመርዓዊ፡ አምጣነ፡ ሀሎ፡ መርዓዊ፡ ምስሌሆሙ። (Matt.
9:15).
ʾi-yyaḫazǝnnu daqiq-u la-marʿāwi ʾamṭāna hallo
<PartNeg-V: Imperf.3m.p> <NCom:m.p.Nom> <Prep-NCom:m.s.Nom> <Conj> <V:
marʿāwi mǝsle-homu
Perf3m.s> <NCom:m.s.Nom> <Prep-PSuff:3m.p>
‘The friends of the bridegroom will not be sad since the bridegroom is with them’.
4.9.2.7. አምጣነ፡ ብነ፡ ዕለት፡ ንግበር፡ ሠናየ፡ ለኵሉ። (Gal. 6:10).
ʾamṭāna bə-na ʿǝlat nəgbar śannāya la-kwǝllu
<Conj> <ExAff-PSuff:1c.p> <NCom:unm.s.Nom> <V:Subj:1c.p> <NCom:unm.s.Acc>
<Prep-ProTot:Nom>
‘While we have a day, let us do what is good for all’.
The individual particle ሰ s/ssa can be attached to the elements as a suffix by splitting their direct connection with verbs or nouns.
Textual evidences:
4.9.2.8. አምጣነሰ፡ ሐዋርያሆሙ፡ አነ፡ ለአሕዛብ፡ እሴብሓ፡ ለመልእክትየ። (Rom.
11:13).
ʾamṭāna-ssa ḥawāryā-homu ʾana la-ʾaḥǝzāb
<Conj-Part> <NCom:m.s.Nom-PSuff: 3m.p> <PPer:1c.s> <Prep-NCom:unm.p.Nom>
ʾǝsebbǝḥ-ā la-malʾǝktǝ-ya
<V:Imperf.1c.s-PSuff:3f.s> <Prep-NCom:fs.s.Nom-PSuff:1c.s>
Conjunctions
170
‘As much as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry’.
Like other elements, they can be combined with nominal derivations, nouns, numbers and all other non-verbal linguistic elements while functioning as prepositions.
Example: መጠነ፡ ሠለስቱ maṭana śalastu (elem. + number), በአምጣነ፡ ቆሙ ba-ʾamṭāna qom-u (elem. +. elem. + noun), በዐቅመ፡ ዝንቱ (elem. + Pron) etc.
አምጣነ ʾamṭāna has the meaning ‘more than’ or ‘beyond’ when ʾǝm is attached to it initially.
Textual evidences:
4.9.2.9. እስመ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ እም፡ አምጣነ፡ ኀይልነ፡ አመንደቡነ። (2 Cor. 1:8).
ʾǝsma fadfāda ʾǝm ʾamṭāna ḫaylǝ-na ʾamandabu-na
<Conj-Adv> <Prep> <Prep> <NCom:unm.s.Nom-PSuff:1c.p> <V:Perf:3m.p-PSuff:1c.p>
‘Because they afflicted us excessively beyond our strength’.