ata
/ata/ · plural atala
1. father — Before another noun it means paternal or father's, as in ata üy (the father's house) and ata sözü (a father's word).
- atam — my father
- atam üydedi — my father is at home
- atam işleydi — my father works
- seni ataŋ qayda işleydi? — where does your father work?
- ataları üyde joqdu — their father is not at home
- tuwğan ata — one's own father
- üydegini atası — the father of the household
- ata üy — the father's house
- ata sözü — a father's word
- ata jürek — a father's heart
- ol ata üyüne qayıtdı — he returned to his father's house
2. ancestor, forefather — Usually plural: atalarıbız (our forefathers).
- atalarıbız bu jerlede jaşağandıla — our forefathers lived in these lands
- ataladan kelgen — handed down from the forefathers
- atalanı sözlerin esde tutuğuz — keep the forefathers' words in mind
- jeti atadan beri — from seven generations back
3. founder, originator
- tuqumnu atası — the founder of the clan
- Malqar literaturanı atası Kyazimdi — Kyazim is the father of Balkar literature
- nart askerni ataları — the founding fathers of the Nart army
4. dad, father (as children address their father)
- ata, bizge kel — dad, come to us
- ata, qayrı barasa? — dad, where are you going?
- atam! — dad!
- ata, saqalıŋı jülüymüse? — dad, are you shaving your beard?
5. father (respectful address to an older man) — A respectful way of addressing an older man, who need not be a relative.
- ata, ne işleysiz? — father, what are you doing?
- ata, sawluğuğuz qalaydı? — father, how is your health?
- ata, bılayğa oltur — father, sit here
- ata, siz damı kelgensiz? — father, have you come too?
- ata, qalaydı sawluğuŋ? — father, how is your health?
Expressions
- ataŋa goliya — damn you!
- atasın öltürgen kibik — as if gravely wronged
- atasın tuwrağan gırjınŋa satmağandı — grieved for a parent
- atasını baş jartısımı qalğandı? — no business there
Cases and owners
Singular
| Case | —plain | menimy | seniyour | anıhis / her | bizniour | sizniyou all's | alanıtheir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | atathe father | atammy father | ataŋyour father | atasıhis father | atabızour father | atağızyou all's father | atalarıtheir fathers |
| Genitive | atanıthe father's | atamımy father's | ataŋıyour father's | atasınıhis father's | atabıznıour father's | atağıznıyou all's father's | atalarınıtheir fathers' |
| Accusative | atanıthe father (as the object) | atamımy father (as the object) | ataŋıyour father (as the object) | atasınhis father (as the object) | atabıznıour father (as the object) | atağıznıyou all's father (as the object) | atalarıntheir fathers (as the object) |
| Dative | atağato the father | atamato my father | ataŋato your father | atasınato his father | atabızğato our father | atağızğato you all's father | atalarınato their fathers |
| Locative | atadain / at the father | atamdain / at my father | ataŋdain / at your father | atasındain / at his father | atabızdain / at our father | atağızdain / at you all's father | atalarındain / at their fathers |
| Ablative | atadanfrom the father | atamdanfrom my father | ataŋdanfrom your father | atasındanfrom his father | atabızdanfrom our father | atağızdanfrom you all's father | atalarındanfrom their fathers |
Plural
| Case | —plain | menimy | seniyour | anıhis / her | bizniour | sizniyou all's | alanıtheir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | atalathe fathers | atalarımmy fathers | atalarıŋyour fathers | atalarıhis fathers | atalarıbızour fathers | atalarığızyou all's fathers | atalarıtheir fathers |
| Genitive | atalanıthe fathers' | atalarımımy fathers' | atalarıŋıyour fathers' | atalarınıhis fathers' | atalarıbıznıour fathers' | atalarığıznıyou all's fathers' | atalarınıtheir fathers' |
| Accusative | atalanıthe fathers (as the object) | atalarımımy fathers (as the object) | atalarıŋıyour fathers (as the object) | atalarınhis fathers (as the object) | atalarıbıznıour fathers (as the object) | atalarığıznıyou all's fathers (as the object) | atalarıntheir fathers (as the object) |
| Dative | atalağato the fathers | atalarımato my fathers | atalarıŋato your fathers | atalarınato his fathers | atalarıbızğato our fathers | atalarığızğato you all's fathers | atalarınato their fathers |
| Locative | ataladain / at the fathers | atalarımdain / at my fathers | atalarıŋdain / at your fathers | atalarındain / at his fathers | atalarıbızdain / at our fathers | atalarığızdain / at you all's fathers | atalarındain / at their fathers |
| Ablative | ataladanfrom the fathers | atalarımdanfrom my fathers | atalarıŋdanfrom your fathers | atalarındanfrom his fathers | atalarıbızdanfrom our fathers | atalarığızdanfrom you all's fathers | atalarındanfrom their fathers |
The overlap in the last rows is real, not a mistake: ataları can mean "his / her fathers", "their father", or "their fathers" — context decides.
Whose it is
| Case | one thing, one owner | several things, one owner | one thing, several owners | several things, several owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | atanıqıthe father's one | atanıqılathe father's ones | atalanıqıthe fathers' one | atalanıqılathe fathers' ones |
| Genitive | atanıqınıof the father's one | atanıqılanıof the father's ones | atalanıqınıof the fathers' one | atalanıqılanıof the fathers' ones |
| Accusative | atanıqınthe father's one (as the object) | atanıqılanıthe father's ones (as the object) | atalanıqınthe fathers' one (as the object) | atalanıqılanıthe fathers' ones (as the object) |
| Dative | atanıqınato the father's one | atanıqılağato the father's ones | atalanıqınato the fathers' one | atalanıqılağato the fathers' ones |
| Locative | atanıqındain / at the father's one | atanıqıladain / at the father's ones | atalanıqındain / at the fathers' one | atalanıqıladain / at the fathers' ones |
| Ablative | atanıqındanfrom the father's one | atanıqıladanfrom the father's ones | atalanıqındanfrom the fathers' one | atalanıqıladanfrom the fathers' ones |
The endings are the same ones the pronouns wear — that page explains when each case is used.