kem
/kem/ · plural kemle
1. less, fewer, short (of a required number or amount), lacking — Usually takes the ablative of what it is compared with: jüzden kem means less than a hundred. kem eterge means reduce, make less.
- miŋden kem — less than a thousand
- jüzden ekisi kem — two short of a hundred
- sanı jüzden kem bolsa — if their number is less than a hundred
- sanın kem eterge — to reduce the number
- kem söz aytıb köb işle — speak fewer words and work more
- em keminde otuz jıl berlikse — you would give him thirty years at the very least
- bir zatdan da kem qalmaysız — you will not be short of anything at all
- aqılı kem bolğan qazağa tüşer — one lacking in sense will fall into misfortune
2. worse, inferior, lower (in worth or standing); bad — Compared with the ablative: sen andan kem tüyülse means you are no worse than him. kem körürge means look down on.
- sen andan kem tülse — you are no worse than him
- Safarnı senden nesi kemdi? — in what way is Safar worse than you?
- men anı kesimden kem körmeyme — I do not consider him lower than myself
- kem körürge — to look down on
3. age, a particular time of life; one's proper age, coming of age, maturity — Usually with a possessive: kemine jeterge means to come of age.
- qız kemine jetgende — when the girl came of age
- qız kemine kelse — if the girl comes of age
- seni kemiŋe kelse — if she reaches your age
- kemine bir jetsin — just let him come of age
- jaşnı kemine jetginçi saqlarğa tüzdü — it was right to wait until the young man came of age
- ol kemine jetgenlikge, alğa aşıqmadı — though he had come of age, he did not rush ahead
As an adjective
Saying it about someone
| Degree | menI | senyou | olhe/she/it | bizwe | sizyou all | alathey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| base form | kemmeI am less | kemseyou are less | kemdihe is less | kembizwe are less | kemsizyou all are less | kemdilethey are less |
To compare two things, put the loser in the from-form: ol menden kemdi — "compared to me, he is less."
Saying it about mine, yours, theirs
One thing
| Degree | menikimine | senikiyours | anıqıhis / hers | biznikiours | siznikiyours (pl.) | alanıqıtheirs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| base form | meniki kemdimine is less | seniki kemdiyours is less | anıqı kemdihis is less | bizniki kemdiours is less | sizniki kemdiyours (pl.) is less | alanıqı kemditheirs is less |
Several things
| Degree | menikilemine | senikileyours | anıqılahis / hers | biznikileours | siznikileyours (pl.) | alanıqılatheirs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| base form | menikile kemdilemine are less | senikile kemdileyours are less | anıqıla kemdilehis are less | biznikile kemdileours are less | siznikile kemdileyours (pl.) are less | alanıqıla kemdiletheirs are less |
Any thing takes the third-person ending, not only these: bu kemdi, bıla kemdile. In texts biznikile is usually kesibiznikile, "our own people", and a surname with -nıqıla names a family: Dudalanıqıla, "the Dudas".
As a noun
Cases and owners
Singular
| Case | —plain | menimy | seniyour | anıhis / her | bizniour | sizniyou all's | alanıtheir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | kemthe age | kemimmy age | kemiŋyour age | kemihis age | kemibizour age | kemigizyou all's age | kemleritheir ages |
| Genitive | kemnithe age's | kemimimy age's | kemiŋiyour age's | keminihis age's | kemibizniour age's | kemigizniyou all's age's | kemlerinitheir ages' |
| Accusative | kemnithe age (as the object) | kemimimy age (as the object) | kemiŋiyour age (as the object) | keminhis age (as the object) | kemibizniour age (as the object) | kemigizniyou all's age (as the object) | kemlerintheir ages (as the object) |
| Dative | kemgeto the age | kemimeto my age | kemiŋeto your age | kemineto his age | kemibizgeto our age | kemigizgeto you all's age | kemlerineto their ages |
| Locative | kemdein / at the age | kemimdein / at my age | kemiŋdein / at your age | kemindein / at his age | kemibizdein / at our age | kemigizdein / at you all's age | kemlerindein / at their ages |
| Ablative | kemdenfrom the age | kemimdenfrom my age | kemiŋdenfrom your age | kemindenfrom his age | kemibizdenfrom our age | kemigizdenfrom you all's age | kemlerindenfrom their ages |
Plural
| Case | —plain | menimy | seniyour | anıhis / her | bizniour | sizniyou all's | alanıtheir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | kemlethe ages | kemlerimmy ages | kemleriŋyour ages | kemlerihis ages | kemleribizour ages | kemlerigizyou all's ages | kemleritheir ages |
| Genitive | kemlenithe ages' | kemlerimimy ages' | kemleriŋiyour ages' | kemlerinihis ages' | kemleribizniour ages' | kemlerigizniyou all's ages' | kemlerinitheir ages' |
| Accusative | kemlenithe ages (as the object) | kemlerimimy ages (as the object) | kemleriŋiyour ages (as the object) | kemlerinhis ages (as the object) | kemleribizniour ages (as the object) | kemlerigizniyou all's ages (as the object) | kemlerintheir ages (as the object) |
| Dative | kemlegeto the ages | kemlerimeto my ages | kemleriŋeto your ages | kemlerineto his ages | kemleribizgeto our ages | kemlerigizgeto you all's ages | kemlerineto their ages |
| Locative | kemledein / at the ages | kemlerimdein / at my ages | kemleriŋdein / at your ages | kemlerindein / at his ages | kemleribizdein / at our ages | kemlerigizdein / at you all's ages | kemlerindein / at their ages |
| Ablative | kemledenfrom the ages | kemlerimdenfrom my ages | kemleriŋdenfrom your ages | kemlerindenfrom his ages | kemleribizdenfrom our ages | kemlerigizdenfrom you all's ages | kemlerindenfrom their ages |
The overlap in the last rows is real, not a mistake: kemleri can mean "his / her ages", "their age", or "their ages" — context decides.
The endings are the same ones the pronouns wear — that page explains when each case is used.