চেয়ে

Bengali

Etymology

The postposition evolved from the verb form, with meaning changing from "wanting" to "something wanted more than the available extent" to "than".

Pronunciation
Postposition
  • (Rarh) IPA(key): /tʃe/, [ˈtʃeː], [ˈtʃeˑ]
    Audio(file)
  • (Dhaka) IPA(key): /tɕe/, [ˈtɕeː], [ˈtɕeˑ]
  • (Vanga) IPA(key): /t̪sɛ/, [ˈt̪sɛˑ], [ˈsɛˑ]
Verb
  • (Rarh) IPA(key): /tʃee/, [ˈtʃeeˑ]
    Audio(file)
  • (Dhaka) IPA(key): /tɕee/, [ˈtɕeeˑ]
  • (Vanga) IPA(key): /t̪sɛɛ/, [ˈt̪sɛɛˑ], [ˈsɛɛˑ]

Postposition

চেয়ে • (ceẏe) (with genitive case)

  1. than (introduces a standard of comparison)[1]
    Synonyms: চাইতে (caite), থেকে (theke)
    আমি তোমার চেয়ে লম্বা।
    ami tōmar ceẏe lomba.
    I'm taller than you.
    (literally, “I than you [am] tall[er].)”)

Usage notes

Bengali doesn't use comparative forms of adjectives. Using this postposition to introduce an adjective implies a comparative, whereas the derivative সবচেয়ে (śobceẏe) implies a superlative.

Verb

চেয়ে • (ceẏe)

  1. perfect participle of চাওয়া (caōẇa, “to want”)

References
  1. Hanne-Ruth Thompson (2012) chapter 5, in Theodora Bynon,David C. Bennet,Masayoshi Shibatani, editors, Bengali, volume 18, John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 104
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