 | Chapter 6 - The M-/WA- Gender |
|---|
The M-/WA- gender (Classes 1 / 2) contains nouns of persons exclusively, plus two generic nouns of animals. It's the class prefix, i.e. the first syllable of the noun, that distinguishes the singular from the plural. There is no article in front of the noun, which can either be definite or indefinite :
| Cl 1 (Singular) : | prefix M- | MTU | = a person, the person |
| Cl 2 (Plural) : | prefix WA- | WATU | = people, the people |
| In front of a vowel, | the singular prefix M- becomes MW- : | MWALIMU | = a teacher, the teacher |
| The plural prefix WA- becomes W- : | WALIMU | = teachers, the teachers |
1. SOME NOUNS OF THE M-/WA- GENDER :
| SINGULAR | PLURAL | TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| Mdudu | Wadudu | an insect, insects |
| Mfaransa | Wafaransa | a French, the French |
| Mgeni | Wageni | a guest, a foreigner, guests |
| Mgonjwa | Wagonjwa | a patient, patients |
| Mhindi | Wahindi | an Indian, Indians |
| Mjerumani | Wajerumani | a German, Germans |
| Mjomba | Wajomba | an uncle (maternal), uncles |
| Mke | Wake | a spouse, a wife, wives |
| Mkristo | Wakristo | a Christian, Christians |
| Mkulima | Wakulima | a farmer, farmers |
| Mnyama | Wanyama | an animal, animals |
| Mpishi | Wapishi | a cook, cooks |
| Msichana | Wasichana | a young girl, young girls |
| Mtoto | Watoto | a child, children |
| Mtu | Watu | a person, people |
| Mume | Waume | a husband, husbands |
| Mvulana | Wavulana | a young man, young men |
| Mwafrika | Waafrika | an African, Africans |
| Mwalimu | Walimu | a teacher, teachers |
| Mwana | Wana | a child, a son, a daughter, children |
| Mwanadamu | Wanadamu | a human being, (child of Adam) |
| Mwanafunzi | Wanafunzi | a student, a pupil, students |
| Mwanamke | Wanawake | a woman, women |
| Mwanaume | Wanaume | a man, men |
| Mwarabu | Waarabu | an Arab, Arabs |
| Mwingereza | Waingereza | an English, the English |
| Mwislamu | Waislamu | a Muslim, Muslims |
| Mwitalia | Waitalia | an Italian, Italians |
| Mwizi | Wezi (a+i = e) | a thief, thieves |
| Mzee | Wazee | an old man, old men |
| Mzungu | Wazungu | a white man, white men |
2. OTHER NOUNS OF PEOPLE :
Although the M-/WA- gender exclusively contains nouns of people, it is not all inclusive. Thus, a certain number of nouns refering to people can be found in other genders : mainly in the N- gender (Cl 9 / Cl 10), the KI-/VI- gender (Cl 7 / 8) and the JI-/MA- gender (Cl 5 / 6). Yet, the verbs, adjectives, etc. that agree with them must take Class 1/2 prefix agreements.
Nouns of the N- GENDER (Cl 9 / Cl 10)
| SINGULAR | PLURAL | TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| Baba | Baba | father, dad |
| Babu | Babu | grand-father |
| Dada | Dada | sister |
| Kaka | Kaka | brother |
| Mama | Mama | mother, mum |
| Nyanya | Nyanya | grand-mother |
| Rafiki | Rafiki | friend |
| Shangazi | Shangazi | aunt (paternal) |
Nouns of the KI-/VI- GENDER (Classes 7 / 8) :
| SINGULAR | PLURAL | TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| Kibarua | Vibarua | a day laborer, laborers |
| Kijana | Vijana | a youth, youths |
| Kipofu | Vipofu | a blind man, blind men |
| Kiziwi | Viziwi | a deaf person, deaf persons |
Nouns of the JI-/MA- GENDER (Classes 5 / 6) :
| SINGULAR | PLURAL | TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| Bwana | Mabwana | Sir, master, gentlemen |
| Bibi | Mabibi | Madam, ladies |
| Dereva | Madereva | a driver, drivers |
3. CLASS AGREEMENTS :
Adjectives : the adjective takes prefixes of class agreements identical to those of the noun : (See : Chapter 11.)
Class 1 : Mtoto mkubwa / mdogo / mzuri / mbaya / mwema / ... a big / small / pretty / bad / nice / ... child Class 2 : Watoto wakubwa / wadogo / wazuri / wabaya / wema / ... big / small / pretty / bad / nice / ... children
Possessive adjectives :
Class 1 : Mtoto wangu / wako / wake / wetu / wenu / wao = my / your / his - her / our / your / their child Class 2 : Watoto wangu / wako / wake / wetu / wenu / wao = my / your / his - her / our / your / their children
VOCABULARY
| Ku-andika | to write | Ku-lia | to cry |
| Ku-cheza | to play | Ku-lima | to cultivate |
| Ku-chora | to draw | Ku-pita | to pass |
| Ku-fagia | to sweep | Ku-ruka | to jump, to fly |
| Ku-fanya kazi | to work | Ku-toka | to leave, to come from |
| Ku-ingia | to enter, to come in | Ku-vunja | to break |
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :
Play ! Sweep ! Work ! Come in ! Leave ! Draw ! Cultivate ! Jump ! Leave (Plur) ! Work (Plur) !
Don't write ! Don't play ! Don't break ! Don't cry ! Don't pass ! Don't write (Plur) ! Don't come in (Plur) ! Don't jump (Plur) ! Don't play (Plur) ! Don't leave (Plur) !
A guest, a child, a young girl, a husband, a man, a woman, a wife, an English, a white man, a Muslim, a cook, a teacher, a thief, an old man, a French.
Human beings, Africans, Indians, French people, people, young men, children (sons / daughters), children, Germans, wives, husbands, pupils, farmers, uncles, animals.
EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :
Mtu, mnyama, mdudu, mwanadamu, mwislamu, mkristo, mzungu, mwafrika, mfaransa, mtoto, mvulana, msichana, baba, kaka, mama, dada, mjomba, shangazi, kipofu, kibarua.
Wakulima, walimu, wanafunzi, vibarua, wanaume, wanawake, waitalia, watu, wageni, wagonjwa, waarabu, wapishi, wezi, wazee, dada, kaka, rafiki, mabibi, mabwana, vijana.
EXERCISE 3 : Put the nouns in the plural :
Mwanafunzi, mwislamu, mwana, mwizi, mzee, mzungu, mhindi, mnyama, mume, mke, mwanamume, mwanamke, mgeni, mwarabu, mwafrika, mjomba, kijana, rafiki, kipofu, kibarua, dada, shangazi, bibi, bwana, dereva.
| Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents |
|---|