Chapter 43 - The Formation of Nouns

You have probably now noticed that many nouns and verbs come from the same roots. For memory, let's give here some words we have already met with :

ku-sikia	to hear	-> sikio	an ear
ku-imba	to sing	-> wimbo	a song
ku-safiri	to travel	-> safari	a journey

We will review in this chapter the various devices most commonly used in Swahili to coin new nouns, and the significance of some of the prefixes and suffixes used in that process.

 1. NOUNS DERIVED FROM A VERB : 

 1. Noun ending in -I : 

1. To obtain a noun of trade or occupation, we place a classes 1/2 prefix (M-/WA- gender) in front of the verbal root and change the final vowel -a into -i :

   ku-gomba	to contradict	-> mgomvi (wa-)	a quarellous person
   ku-lea	to raise	-> mlezi (wa-)	a children's nurse
   ku-lewa	to be drunk	-> mlevi (wa-)	a drunkard
   ku-linda	to guard	-> mlinzi (wa-)	a guard
   ku-pika	to cook	-> mpishi (wa-)	a cook
   ku-shona	to sew	-> mshoni (wa-)	a tailor
   ku-tumika	to be employed	-> mtumishi (wa-)	a servant
   ku-vua	to fish	-> mvuvi (wa-)	a fisherman
   ku-zaa	to father	-> mzazi (wa-)	a parent

   
   

2. We can also place a classes 7/8 prefix (KI-/VI- gender) in front of the verbal root and change the final vowel -a into -i :

   ku-nyoa	to shave	-> kinyozi (vi-)	a barber
   ku-ongoza	to lead	-> kiongozi (vi-)	a leader

   
   

3. We can also place a classes 1/2 prefix (M-/WA- gender) in front of the verbal root and add the suffix -ji at the end of the radical :

   ku-cheza	to play	-> mchezaji (wa-)	a player
   ku-chunga	to keep	-> mchungaji (wa-)	a shepherd
   ku-imba	to sing	-> mwimbaji (wa-)	a singer
   ku-lima	to cultivate	-> mlimaji (wa-)	a farmer
   ku-sema	to speak	-> msemaji (wa-)	a speaker
   ku-tazama	to watch	-> mtazamaji (wa-)	a spectator

 2. Noun ending in -U : 

1. We obtain abstract nouns by placing a class 14 prefix (U- gender) in front of the verbal root. The final vowel -a changes into -u :

   ku-haribu	to destroy	-> uharibifu	destruction
   ku-kosa	to miss	-> ukosefu	lack, shortage
   ku-okoa	to save	-> wokovu	salvation
   ku-punguka	to be reduced	-> upungufu	rarefaction
   ku-sahau	to forget	-> usahaulifu	forgetfulness
   ku-tulia	to be calm	-> utulivu	calm, peacefulness

   
   

2. We also obtain nouns of people by placing a classes 1/2 prefix (M-/WA- gender) in front of the verbal root. The final vowel -a changes into -u :

   ku-amini	to believe	-> mwaminifu (wa-)	a believer, a faithful person
   ku-anga	to light	-> mwangavu (wa-)	an intelligent person
   ku-tukuka	to be estimated	-> mtukufu (wa-)	an estimable person
   ku-tulia	to be calm	-> mtulivu (wa-)	a quiet person

 3. Noun ending in -E : 

The termination -e often indicates a person or a thing that has undergone an unspecified action. We place a class prefix in front of the verbal root and change the final vowel -a into -e :

ku-kata	to cut	-> mkate (mi-)	a loaf of bread
ku-shinda	to conquer	-> ushinde	a defeat
ku-tuma	to employ	-> mtume (wa-)	a messenger, an envoy
ku-umba	to create	-> kiumbe (vi-)	a creature

 4. Noun ending in -O : 

The termination -o is quite common. It often indicates an object or an unspecified action. We place a class prefix in front of the verbal root and change the final vowel -a into -o :

ku-azimu	to propose	-> azimio (ma-)	a declaration
ku-fungua	to open	-> ufunguo (funguo)	a key
ku-funika	to cover	-> kifuniko (vi-)	a lid
ku-imba	to sing	-> wimbo (ny-)	a song
ku-patana	to agree	-> mpatano (mi-)	an agreement
ku-sikia	to hear	-> sikio (ma-)	an ear
ku-ziba	to stop, to cork	-> kizibo (vi-)	a stopper, a cork

 5. Nouns starting with the prefix N- : 

Some classes 9/10 nouns (N- gender) are simply derived from a verb with the addition of the prefix N- :

ku-ja	to come	-> njia	a way
ku-oa	to marry	-> ndoa	a marriage
ku-ota	to dream	-> ndoto	a dream

 6. Derivation from a verb of Arabic origin : 

Nouns formed from a verb of Arabic origin usually keep the same consonants but change their internal vowels, although some, like msafiri (wa-) (= a traveller) follow the Bantu pattern :

ku-abudu	to adore	-> ibadi	worship
ku-amini	to believe	-> imani	faith
ku-bariki	to bless	-> baraka	a blessing
ku-furahi	to rejoice	-> furaha	joy
ku-safiri	to travel	-> safari	a journey
ku-sali	to pray	-> sala	a pray
ku-sifu	to praise	-> sifa	a praise
ku-subiri	to wait	-> subira	patience
ku-tiba	to cure	-> tabibu	a doctor
ku-tubu	to repent	-> toba	repentance

 2. NOUNS DERIVED FROM OTHER NOUNS : 

 1. The diminutive prefixes KI- and KIJI- : 

(See : Chapter 16.)

jiwe (ma-)	a stone	-> kijiwe (vi-)	a pebble
mji (mi-)	a town	-> kijiji (vi-)	a village
mlima (mi-)	a mountain	-> kilima (vi-)	a hill
mto (mi-)	a river	-> kijito (vi-)	a brook
mtoto (wa-)	a child	-> kitoto (vi-)	a toddler
mtu (wa-)	a person	-> kijitu (vi-)	a dwarf
mwana (wa-)	a child	-> kijana (vi-)	a young person
mwiko (mi-)	a ladle	-> kijiko (vi-)	a spoon
sahani	a plate	-> kisahani (vi-)	a saucer

 2. The augmentative prefix JI- : 

(Voir : Chapter 13.)

mtu (wa-)	a person	-> jitu (ma-)	a giant
mti (mi-)	a tree	-> jiti (ma-)	a large arbre
nyoka	a snake	-> joka (ma-)	a large snake
nyumba	a house	-> jumba (ma-)	a building
nyunyi	a bird	-> juni (ma-)	a large bird

 3. The collective prefix -MA : 

Some classes 9/10 nouns (N- gender) have 2 plurals : an ordinary plural and a class 6 plural (prefix MA-) that represents a collectivity.

pesa	money	-> mapesa	small change
rafiki	a friend	-> marafiki	a circle of friends
samaki	a fish	-> masamaki	a school of fish
simba	a lion	-> masimba	a pride of lions

 3. VERBAL DERIVATION AND NOMINAL DERIVATION : 

EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :

1. A messenger, a believer, a drunkard, a shepherd, players, spectators, parents, a tailor, a farmer, a servant, a creature, a toddler, a driver, a lover, a leader.

2. A declaration, an agreement, a blessing, a prayer, faith, repentance, patience, salvation, destruction, a shortage, tranquility, development, favouritism, affection, forgetfulness.

3. A song, a way, a dream, a key, a cover, a journey, small change, a village, a pebble, a spoon, a saucer, a building, a large snake, a large bird, a pride of lions.

EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :

1. Waimbaji waliimba nyimbo nzuri.
2. Mlimaji analima shamba lake.
3. Wavuvi wamekwenda baharini kuvua usiku.
4. Huyu mlevi ni mgomvi sana.
5. Kuna walinzi wawili mbele ya jumba la rais.
6. Siwezi kufungua nyumba yangu kwa sababu nimepotea ufunguo wangu.
7. Kizibo cha chupa hii kiko wapi ?
8. Leo usiku, nimeota ndoto njema : nilioa mpenzi wangu.
9. Kijiji chetu hiki kinaendela vizuri.
10. Tajiri huyu ana watumishi wachache na wapishi wawili.
11. Usikose kusikiliza hotuba ya kiongozi wetu katika redio.
12. Siku hizi hatuna ukosefu wa bidhaa madukani.
13. Watamazaji watukufu, sasa mtaangalia mchezo wa mpira baina ya wachezaji wa Tanzania na Kenya.
14. Masimba wamelala msituni, kando ya barabara.
15. Rais alituambia tujitolee kwa maendeleo ya nchi yetu.