7,080
edits
Line 651: | Line 651: | ||
===Nouns=== | ===Nouns=== | ||
====Noun classes==== | ====Noun classes==== | ||
Kola preserves | Kola preserves many of the Proto-Bantu noun classes. | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | ||
|+ Noun classes | |+ Noun classes | ||
Line 657: | Line 657: | ||
! rowspan="2" | Class !! rowspan="2" | Noun prefix !! colspan="4" | Concord prefixes<small><sup>1</sup></small> || rowspan="2" | Typical meaning(s) | ! rowspan="2" | Class !! rowspan="2" | Noun prefix !! colspan="4" | Concord prefixes<small><sup>1</sup></small> || rowspan="2" | Typical meaning(s) | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Subject !! Object !! Adjective | |||
|- | |- | ||
! 1 | ! 1 | ||
| mï-; - || yï- | | mï-; - || yï- || mï- || mï- || Humans, animate | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 2 | ! 2 | ||
| wä- || colspan=" | | wä- || colspan="2" | wa || wä- || Plural of class 1 | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 3 | ! 3 | ||
| mï- || colspan=" | | mï- || colspan="2" | ngu- || mï- || Inanimate | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 4 | ! 4 | ||
| mï- || colspan=" | | mï- || colspan="2" | ji- || mï- || Plural of class 3 | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 5 | ! 5 | ||
| zï- || colspan=" | | zï- || colspan="2" | li- || zï- || Augmentatives, various | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 6 | ! 6 | ||
| mä- || colspan=" | | mä- || colspan="2" | nga- || mä- || Plural of class 5, mass nouns | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 7 | ! 7 | ||
| jï- || colspan=" | | jï- || colspan="2" |<!--ĵi---> ji- || jï- || Tools/artefacts, diminutives, languages, various | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 8 | ! 8 | ||
| vï- || colspan=" | | vï- || colspan="2" | vi- || vï- || Plural of class 7 | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 9 | ! 9 | ||
| N-; -<small><sup>3</sup></small> || colspan=" | | N-; -<small><sup>3</sup></small> || colspan="2" | yi- || N- || Animals, inanimate | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 10 | ! 10 | ||
| N-; -<small><sup>3</sup></small> || colspan=" | | N-; -<small><sup>3</sup></small> || colspan="2" | ĵï- || N- || Plural of classes 9 & 11 | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 11 | ! 11 | ||
| lï- || colspan=" | | lï- || colspan="2" | lu- || lï- || Abstract, manner/way/culture | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 12 | ! 12 | ||
| gä- || colspan=" | | gä- || colspan="2" | ga- || gä- || Diminutives | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 13 | ! 13 | ||
| dï- || colspan=" | | dï- || colspan="2" | du- || dï- || Plural of class 12 | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 14 | ! 14 | ||
| wï- || colspan=" | | wï- || colspan="2" | wu- || wï- || Abstract, countries/lands | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 15 | ! 15 | ||
| g(w)ï-<small><sup>2</sup></small> || colspan=" | | g(w)ï-<small><sup>2</sup></small> || colspan="2" | gu- || g(w)ï-<small><sup>2</sup></small> || Infinitives | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 16 | ! 16 | ||
| bä- || colspan=" | | bä- || colspan="2" | ba- || bä- || Location, "against", "to the detriment of" | ||
|- | |- | ||
! 17 | ! 17 | ||
| g(w)ï-<small><sup>2</sup></small> || colspan=" | | g(w)ï-<small><sup>2</sup></small> || colspan="2" | gu- || g(w)ï-<small><sup>2</sup></small> || Approximate location, direction, "for", "to", "to the benefit of" | ||
|} | |} | ||
'''Notes:''' | '''Notes:''' | ||
<small><sup>1</sup></small> These concord prefixes | <small><sup>1</sup></small> These concord prefixes are considered formal and old-fashioned, and tend to be replaced with animacy-based concords. Words agreeing with animate nouns use classes 1/2, while those agreeing with inanimate nouns use classes 5/6 or 9/10. When a modifier is used with a noun, the concord prefix can be omitted (especially for adjectives). | ||
With nouns, class 16 and 17 behave as prepositions. Their concord prefixes | With nouns, class 16 and 17 behave as prepositions. Their concord prefixes may be used with verbs; adjectives and other modifiers agree with the base noun. The class 16/17 prefix always comes at the beginning of the noun phrase. | ||
<small><sup>2</sup></small> (y) = -y- is added epenthetically before vowels; (w) = -w- added before vowels | <small><sup>2</sup></small> <!--(y) = -y- is added epenthetically before vowels;--> (w) = -w- added before vowels | ||
<small><sup>3</sup></small> The initial consonant of the stem (including a null consonant) is often nasalized if applicable, but this is not always the case especially in loanwords. | <small><sup>3</sup></small> The initial consonant of the stem (including a null consonant) is often nasalized if applicable, but this is not always the case especially in loanwords. | ||
Line 730: | Line 730: | ||
:e.g. ''gä-'' + ''zichä'' → ጌጨ ''gechä'' or ገዚጨ ''gäzichä'' "little eye" | :e.g. ''gä-'' + ''zichä'' → ጌጨ ''gechä'' or ገዚጨ ''gäzichä'' "little eye" | ||
::''bä-'' + ''zichä'' → በዚጨ ''bäzichä'' (NOT *ቤጨ ''bechä'') "in (an) eye" | ::''bä-'' + ''zichä'' → በዚጨ ''bäzichä'' (NOT *ቤጨ ''bechä'') "in (an) eye" | ||
::''bä-'' + '' | ::''bä-'' + ''lä-'' "the" + ''-ngolä'' "red" + ''zichä'' → በለ(ዝ)ጞለ ዚጨ ''bälä(zï)ngolä zichä'' "in the red eye" (or በለጎለ ዚጨ ''bälägolä zichä'', with the class 9 concord prefix). | ||
===Articles=== | ===Articles=== |
edits