Agent Nouns, Suffixes, and Time Expressions

Source Images: 59.jpg, 60.jpg (Book Pages: 59–60)

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People and time. An agent noun names a doer, as in لکھنے والا (likhne wālā), “the person who writes.” Time expressions situate an event, as in کل (kal), “yesterday” or “tomorrow,” depending on context. See adverbs for other ways to say when an event happens.

Key words

• آج (āj) — today
• کل (kal) — yesterday
• کل (kal) — tomorrow
• پرسوں (parsoñ) — the day before yesterday
• پرسوں (parsoñ) — the day after tomorrow

1. The Agent Noun (اسم فاعل — Ism-e-Fā'il)

An اسم فاعل (Ism-e-Fā'il) designates the person or entity performing an action (the doer / agent).

Morphological Derivation from Infinitives (مصدر)

To form an agent noun from any Urdu verb infinitive:

1. Take the infinitive ending in نا (-nā).
2. Change the terminal نا to نے (-ne).
3. Attach the productive agentive suffix:
   • والا (-wālā) $\longrightarrow$ Masculine Singular
   • والے (-wāle) $\longrightarrow$ Masculine Plural / Any Masculine Oblique
   • والی (-wālī) $\longrightarrow$ Feminine Singular & Feminine Plural

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2. Dual Semantic Function of the -wālā Verb Construction

In Urdu conversational syntax, this construction conveys two distinct functions:

1. The Habitual Doer / Agent: "The one who comes / visitor", "The traveler".
2. Immediate Future / Inceptive Aspect: "About to do / on the verge of doing".

Practical Sentences:

• میں آنے والا ہوں۔ Maiñ āne wālā hūñ. — I am about to arrive. / I am one who comes.
• سالم جانے والا ہے۔ Sālim jāne wālā hai. — Salim is about to leave / go.
• مرکز سے نکلنے والا ثقانی ہے۔ Markaz se nikalne wālā Saqāfī hai. — The one exiting the Markaz is a Saqafi.
• کل صبح سویرے کو ادھر چار آدمی آنے والے ہیں۔ Kal ṣubḥ sawere ko idhar chār ādmī āne wāle haiñ. — Tomorrow early morning, four men are scheduled to arrive here.
• آج مرجانہ دس بجے کو اسکول جانے والی ہے۔ Āj Marjānah das baje ko iskūl jāne wālī hai. — Today Marjanah is going to school at 10 o'clock.
• کیا پرسوں تمہاری بیٹیاں اسپتال میں جانے والی ہیں؟ Kyā parsoñ tumhārī beṭiyāñ aspātāl meñ jāne wālī haiñ? — Are your daughters going to the hospital the day after tomorrow?

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3. Core Temporal Adverbs: Understanding کل and پرسوں

Urdu uses single words that encompass both past and future reference; their precise meaning is determined entirely by the tense of the verb:

Contextual Comparison of کل:

• فاطمہ کل آئی۔ Fāṭimah kal ā'ī. — Fatimah came yesterday (past verb آئی).
• ابوبکر کل آئے گا۔ Abū Bakr kal ā'egā. — Abu Bakr will come tomorrow (future verb آئے گا).

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4. Other Uses of the Suffix -wālā (والا)

Beyond verb roots, -wālā is affixed to place names and common nouns to signify origin, trade, or characteristic:

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5. Persian and Arabic Agent Nouns in Urdu

In formal and literary registers, Urdu incorporates loan agent nouns formed with classical suffixes: