Tulu Lesson 31: Postpositions

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In Tulu, we do not use prepositions, rather we use postpositions. Postpositions are used the same way as prepositions in English (Examples: for you, in front of the house, between us, according to me, before dinner, after death etc.), but they sit after the word that they modify. Generally postpositions are used to express relationship between a noun or pronoun and other parts of the sentence.

1. Postpositions used with ablative or instrumental case (suffix ‘Dd’):

dumbu – Before

bokka – after, afterwards

inchi – onwards

Atra – Because of

Tulu: ninDd dumbu yAn baidae

English: I have come before you

Kannada: ninaginta modalu nAnu bandiddEne

Tulu: enaDd bokka I battini

Engslish: You came after me

Kannada: nanna nantara nInu bandaddu

Tulu: madyAnaDd bokka tikk’ga

English: Let us meet in the afternoon

Kannada: madhyAnada mEle sigONa

Tulu: elleDd bokka yAn barpujae

English: I will not come from tomorrow onwards

Kannada: nALeyinda nAnu baruvudilla

Tulu: aiDd bokka yAn Ayen tUtijae

English: After that, I have never seen him

Kannada: adara nantara nAnu avanannu nODilla

Tulu: kODeDdinchi barsa baronduNDu

English: It is raining from yesterday onwards.

Kannada: ninneyinda maLe bartA ide

Tulu: ekADdinchi nikk kAtondullae

English: I have been waiting for you from that time

Kannada: Agadinda ninage kAytA iddEne

Tulu: elleDdinchi yAn barpujae

English: I will not come from tomorrow onwards

Kannada: nALeyinda nAnu baruvudilla

Tulu: ninaDdAtra enk sukha ijji

English: Because of you I am not happy

Kannada: ninnindAgi  nanage nemmadi illa

Tulu: ayeDdAtra enk barrae Ayiji

English: Because of him, I could not come

Kannada: avanindAgi nanage baralikke Agalilla

These postpositions can also be used with verbals.

Gerunds + Dd + dumbu

barpineDd dumbu (barpini + Dd + dumbu) – Before coming

tUpineDd dumbu (tUpini + Dd + dumbu) – Before seeing

saipineDd dumbu (saipini + Dd + dumbu) – Before dying

Tulu: Aye barpineDd dumbu yAn pOpae

English: I will leave (go) before he comes

Kannada: avanu baruvudakinta modalu nAnu hOgtEne

Tulu: barsa barpineDd dumbu ill sEruve

English: Before it rains, I will be home

Kannada: maLe baruvudakinta modalu nAnu mane sErtEne

Tulu: Aye kENuneDd dumbu koru

English: Before he asks, give it to him

Kannada: avanu kELuvudakinta modalu koDu

Gerunds + Dd + bokka

                OR

Past Adjectival Participles + bokka

battineDd bokka (battini + Dd + bokka) – After came

batti bokka (batti + bokka) – After came / Once came

pOyineDd bokka – After went

pOyi bokka – After went / Once went

Tulu: Aye battineDd bokka yAn pOyini

English: After he came, I went

Kannada: avanu banda mEle nAnu hOdaddu

Tulu: ninan tUyi bokka enk samadAna AND

English: After I saw you, I am feeling better

Kannada: ninnannu nODida mEle, nanage nemmadi Aytu

Tulu: ill etti bokka phone malpu

English: Once you reach home, call me

Kannada: mane talapida mEle phone mADu

Gerunds + Dd + inchi

battineDdinchi (battini + Dd + inchi) – Since came / From the time when came

Tulu: akulu battineDdinchi telitonduller

English: They have been laughing since they came

Kannada: avaru bandAgininda nagtA iddAre

Tulu: Aye dubai’g pOyineDdinchi phone malt’dije

English: He has not called me since he went Dubai

Kannada: avanu dubai’ge hOdAgininda phone mADilla

Gerunds + Dd + Atra

battineDdAtra (battini + Dd + Atra) – Because came

Tulu: Ir paNDineDdAtra yAn pOyini

English: I went because you told me

Kannada: nIvu hELidarindAgi nAnu hOde

Tulu: I barpineDdAtra yAn barondullae

English: I am coming because you are coming

Kannada: nInu baruvudarindAgi nAnu bartA iddEne

2. Postpositions used with dative case (suffix ‘k/g’):

eduru – against

Ad – for

Atra – for the sake of

bODAd  - for the sake of

Tulu: yAn Epagla nikk eduru untayae

English: I will never stand against you

Kannada: nAnu yAvattigU ninage eduru nillenu

Tulu: nikkAd yAn battini

English: I came for you

Kannada: ninagAgi nAnu bandaddu

Tulu: kAs’gAtra jana dAla malper

English: People may do anything for the sake of money

Kannada: duDDigOskara jana EnU mADiyAru

Tulu: enkAtra manipandae kullu

English: Keep quiet for the sake of me

Kannada: nanagOskara summaniru

Tulu: dEshogu bODAd prANa tyAga malte

English: He sacrified his life for the country 

Kannada: dEshakke bEkAgi prANa tyAga mADida

Tulu: Ayeg bODAd yAn battae

Englsih: I came for him

Kannada: avanige bEkAgi nAnu bande

Following postpositions can also be used with verbals.

Infinitives + boDAd

               OR

Infinitives + g + Atra

pAterrae bODAd – for the sake of speaking

pAterregAtra (pAterrae + g + Atra ) – for the sake of speaking

pOyerae bODAd  - for the sake of going

pOyeregAtra – for the sake of going

Tulu: yAn niNDa paterrae bODAd battae

English: I came for the sake of speaking with you

Kannada: nAnu ninnondige mAtannADalikkOskara bande

Tulu: yAn ninan tUyeregAtra battae

English: I came for the sake of seeing you

Kannada: nAnu ninnannu nODalikkOskara bande

3. Postpositions used with genitive case (suffix 'na/ta/da'):

kaital – near

oTTugu – together, with

lekka / leka – Like, As

baggae/vishayoDu/vichAroDu – about / regarding / concerning

prakAra – As per

pagateg / badal’g - instead of

mukhAntra – through

eduru – in front of

sutta / suttala – around

suttamutta – around

ulai – in / inside

pidai – out / outside

piravu – behind

aDe/aDeg – towards / to the place of 

anchi/anchig – towards

mitt – on / above

tirt – below

aDiT - under

bariT – next to, beside

naDuTu – in the middle

Tulu: Ayena kaital pOvoDchi

English: Don’t go near him

Kannada: avana hattira hOgabEDa

Tulu: ennoTTugu bala

Englsih: Come with me

Kannada: nanna jote bA

Tulu: aklenoTTugu gobboDchi

English: Don’t play with them

Kannada: avaroTTige ADabEDa

Tulu: ninaleka yAn ijjae

English: I am not like you

Kannada: ninna hAge nAnu illa

Tulu: bangArdaleka raisuNDu

English: It’s shining like gold            

Kannada: chiNNadante hoLeyuttade

Tulu: namma dEshada vishayoDu Ar pAteriyer

English: He/She spoke regarding our country

Kannada: namma dEshada vishayadalli avaru mAtADidaru

Tulu: enna bagge nikk gottuji

English: You don’t know about me

Kannada: nanna bagge ninage gottilla

Tulu: enna prakAra undu sari att

English: As per me this is not correct

Kannada: nanna prakAra idu sari alla

Tulu: ammena pagateg mage batte

English: The son came instead of his father

Kannada: tandeya badalige maga banda

Tulu: TV bokka Radio’da mukhAntra janokleg suddi tikkuNDu

English: Through TV and Radio people will get news.

Kannada: TV mattu Radio’da mukhAntra janarige suddi siguttade

Tulu: yAn ninna illada eduru ullae

English: I am in front of your house

Kannada: nAnu ninna maneya eduru iddEne

Tulu: kaNDoda sutta bEli uNDu

English: There is a fence around the field.

Kannada: gaddeya suttalU bEli ide

Tulu: enna suttamutta Erla ijjer

English: No one is there around me

Kannada: nanna suttamutta yArU illa

Tulu: akulu illada ulai pOyer

English: They went inside the house

Kannada: avaru maneya oLage hOdaru

Tulu: akulu illada pidai kAtonduller

English: They are waiting outside the house

Kannada: avaru maneya horage kAytA iddAre

Tulu: ninna piravu tUla

English: look behind you

Kannada: ninna hinde nOdu

Tulu: sudetaDe pOvodchi

English: Don’t go to the riverside

Kannada: nadi kaDe hOgabEda

Tulu: tOTadanchi pOvondullae

English: I am going towards the garden

Kannada: tOTadAche hOgtA iddEne

Tulu: mEjida mitt pustaka uNDu

English: There is a book on the table

Kannada: mEjina mEle pustaka ide

Tulu: guDDeda tirt onji kedu uNDu

English: There is a pond below the mountain

Kannada: guDDada keLage ondu kere ide

Tulu: mEjida aDiT puchchae uNDu

English: There is a cat under the table

Kannada: mEjina aDiyalli bekku ide

Tulu: ramEshe, surEshena bariT kullonde

English: Ramesh has sat beside Suresh

Kannada: ramEsha, surEshana badiyalli kUtiddAne

Tulu: surEshe, ramEshe bokka jayantena naDuT kullonde

English: Suresh has sat between Ramesh and Jayanth.

Kannada: surEsha, ramEsha mattu jayantana madyadalli kUtiddAne

Following postpositions can also be used with verbals.

Adjectival Participle + leka

tUyi leka – Like saw

batti leka – Like came

barpi leka – Like coming

paNpi leka – Like saying

Tulu: yAn paNDi leka malpu

English: Do as I said

Kannada: nAnu hELida hAge mADu

Tulu: yAn malpu leka malpu

English: Do like I do

Kannada: nAnu mADuva hAge mADu

Tulu: ninan Ola tUyi leka uNDu

English: It seems like I saw you somewhere

Kannada: ninnannu ellO nODida hAge ide

Adjectival Participle + baggae/vishayoDu/vichAroDu

paNDina vishayoDu  – about said

kENDina bagge – about heard

Tulu: yAn paNDina vishayODu AlOchanae malpu

English: Think about what I said

Kannada: nAnu hELida vishayadalli yOchane mADu

Tulu: I tUyina baggae EreDala paNoDchi

English: Don’t tell anyone about what you saw

Kannada: nInu nODida bagge yArigU hELabEDa

Adjectival Participle + aDe / anchi

paNpinaDe (paNpina + aDe) – To the place of which someone/something is saying

paNDinaDe (paNDina + aDe) - To the place of which someone/something said   

pantinaDe (pantina + aDe) – To the place of which someone/something has said

battinanchi (battina + anchi) – Towards the place of which someone/something came

Tulu: yAn paNDinaDe pOla

English: Go to the place of which I said

Kannada: nAnu hELida kaDe hOgu

Tulu: Aye pOyinanchi pOvoDchi

English:  Don’t go towards the place where he went

Kannada: avanu hOda kaDe hOgabEDa

 

4. Postpositions used with basic form of nouns:

muTTa / muTa – up to, till

ormae / iDi – Throughout, all over

ijjandae / dAntae – Without

Tulu: Aye enna ill muTa batte

English: He came as far as my house

Kannada: avanu nanna maneya varege banda

Tulu: yAn bus stand muTa pOyae

English: I went up to the bust stand

Kannada: nAnu bus stand varege hOde

Tulu: patt gaNTae muTa kApuvae

Englsih: I will wait till 10 O’clock

Kannada: hattu gaNTe varege kAyuttEne

Tulu: Ar tulunADormae pudar paDeyinAr

English: He/She is popular all over Tulu NaDu

Kannada: avaru tulunADinAdyanta hesaru paDedavaru

Tulu: I suddi Urormae paraD’ND

English: This news spread throughout the village

Kannada: I suddi UrellA haraDitu

Tulu: I dAntae (ijjandae) yAn bad’kayae

Englsih: Without you I can’t live

Kannada: nInu illade nAnu badukenu

Tulu: enna sAya dAntae nikk genderae sAdya ijji

English: Without my help you cannot win

Kannada: nanna sahAya illade ninage gellalu sAdyavilla

Following postpositions can also be used with verbals.

Adjectival Participle + muTa

barpina + muTa = barpina muTa > barpineTa – till coming

battina muTa > battineTa - till came

tiNpina muTa > tinpineTa - till eating

Tulu: I leppuneTa yAn barpujae 

English: I will not come till you call me

Kannada: nInu kareyuvavarege nAnu baruvudilla

Tulu: nama saipina muTa oTTugu uppuga 

English: Let us be together until we die

Kannada: nAvu sAyuvavarege oTTige irONa

In Tulu we have another form to express the point of time at which the action terminates. The suffix ‘enge’ is added to participles.

Adjectival Participle + enge

malpuna + enge = malpunenge -  till doing

maltina + enge = maltinenge - till did

baripna + enge = barpinenge – till coming

battina + enge = battinenge OR bannenge – till came

Tulu: akulu bannenge kApula

English: Wait until they come

Kannada: avaru baruva varege kAyu

Tulu: yAn unden malpunenge untula

English: Wait until I make this.

Kannada: nAnu idannu mADuva varege nillu

Tulu: yAn paNpinenge ODela pOvoDchi

English: Don’t go anywhere until I tell you

Kannada: nAnu hELuva varege ellU hOgabEDa

5. Postpositions used with all the cases:

attandae – Beside, apart from , without

Tulu: ninan attandae bEtae Eren leppoDu?

Englsh: Whom else should I call apart from you?

Kannada: ninnannu allade bEre yArannu kareyali?

Tulu: I attandae bEtae Er uller enk?

English: Apart from you who else is there for me?

Kannada: nInu allade bEre yAriddAre nanage?

Tulu: ninaDd attandae bEtae Eregla unden malperae sAdya ijji

English: Besides you no one can do this

Kannada: nInu allade bErae yArigU idannu mADalu sAdya illa

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solmelu!