përkatëse

Përkatëse is a term used in Albanian linguistics to refer to a class of words that modify a noun to express a relation between the noun and another element. In practice, this category covers possessive adjectives and, in some grammars, possessive pronouns that function as determiners within a noun phrase. The key function of a përkatëse is to indicate possession, belonging, or a broader relation such as association or origin, rather than to identify the noun alone.

In syntax, përkatës typically appear as modifiers in noun phrases and usually precede the noun they modify. They agree with the possessor in person and number, though exact forms can vary across dialects and registers. Some Albanian grammars treat the category as a type of determiner that conveys ownership, while others view it as a subcategory of adjectives. The morphophonology of forkatës can vary, but their essential role is to bind the noun to another referent through possession or relation. A common illustration is the noun phrase libri im, which shows how a possessive determiner attaches to the noun to convey the speaker’s possession.

Overall, perkatëse occupies a central place in Albanian noun phrases, linking the noun with a possessor or related referent and shaping how ownership and relational meaning are expressed in sentence structure.