Editing Soddo language (section)

===Noun===
As in most Ethiopian languages, noun [[Grammatical modifier|qualifier]]s generally follow the noun.

The [[definite article]] is expressed by the [[suffix]] ''-i'', e.g.: ''goš'' "boy" > ''goš-i'' "the boy"; ''ätit'' "sister" > ''ätiti'' "the sister"; ''bayyočč'' "children" > ''bayyočč-i''.  If the noun ends in ''-a'' or ''-ä'', it normally loses this [[vowel]] when ''-i'' is suffixed: ''angačča'' "cat" > ''angačč-i'' "the cat".  A noun ending in ''-i'' usually stays the same: ''abi'' "(the) father, proprietor".  A noun ending in ''-e, -o, -u'' adds a ''y'' before the suffix: ''ge'' "house" > ''geʸi'' "the house"; ''wälläho'' "neighbor" > ''wällähoʸi'' "the neighbor".  If the noun has a qualifier, the article is used with the first element: ''maläk' ge'' "big house" > ''maläk'-i ge'' "the big house"; ''yä-šum-i ge'' "the house of the official" (lit. "of-official-the house"); ''yä-mät't'-i məss'' "the man who came" (lit. "who-came-the man".)

There is no real [[indefinite article]], though indefiniteness can be expressed by preposing the word ''attə'' or ''k'una'', meaning "one".

Nouns have two [[grammatical gender|gender]]s, masculine and feminine, which affect [[verb]] concord.

Nouns which are definite objects ([[direct object|direct]] or [[indirect object|indirect]]) are both marked with the prefix ''yä-'' or ''nä-'': e.g. ''yä-geʸi ažžo'' "he saw the house"; ''yä-zämmihʷan abännət'' "he gave it to his brother" (lit. "to-his-brother he-gave-him").  [[Direct object]]s may additionally be marked by adding the object suffix pronouns to the verb: e.g. ''yabiddi täšakkunnət'' "I asked my father" (lit. "my-father-obj. I-asked-him".)

A possessed noun is marked by the prefix ''yä-'', and the possessor precedes the possessed: ''yä-šum-i ge'' "the house of the official" (lit. "of-official-the house").  If the possessed noun has a preposition prefixed to it, this ''yä-'' is omitted: ''babiddi färäz'' rather than *''bä-yä-abiddi färäz'' for "on my father's horse".