 | Chapter 52 - Relative Verbal Constructions |
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Besides the independant relative pronoun AMBA-, there is in Swahili a relative particle that enters the verbal construction and that makes it possible to express the relative in the following tenses :
- Present Definite affirmative (tense marker -NA-).
- Simple Past affirmative (tense marker -LI-).
- Future affirmative (tense marker -TAKA-).
- A single negative tense, valid for the present, past and future.
The relative infix is made up with the -O of reference, that agrees in class with the noun it refers to. (See : Chapter 31 - The "-O" of Reference.)
1. THE PRESENT DEFINITE RELATIVE :
The relative particle -O is placed between the tense marker -NA- and the verbal root.
MODEL : KUFANYA = to make, to do
| NI-NA-YE-FANYA | -> ninayefanya | that I do / who do |
| U-NA-YE-FANYA | -> unayefanya | that you do / who do |
| A-NA-YE-FANYA | -> anayefanya | that he/she does / who does |
| TU-NA-O-FANYA | -> tunaofanya | that we do / who do |
| M-NA-O-FANYA | -> mnaofanya | that you do / who do |
| WA-NA-O-FANYA | -> wanaofanya | that they do / who do |
EXAMPLES :
Mtu anayebaki The person who remains Watu wanaobaki The people who remain Mti unaobaki The tree which remains Miti inayobaki The trees which remain Gari linalobaki The car which remains Magari yanayobaki The cars which remain Kiti kinachobaki The chair which remains Viti vinavyobaki The chair which remain Nguo inayobaki The clothing which remains Nguo zinazobaki The clothes which remain
2. THE SIMPLE PAST RELATIVE :
The relative particle -O is placed between the tense marker -LI- and the verbal root.
MODEL : KUFANYA = to make, to do
| NI-LI-YE-FANYA | -> niliyefanya | that I made / who made |
| U-LI-YE-FANYA | -> uliyefanya | that you made / who made |
| A-LI-YE-FANYA | -> aliyefanya | that he/she made / who made |
| TU-LI-O-FANYA | -> tuliofanya | that we made / who made |
| M-LI-O-FANYA | -> mliofanya | that you made / who made |
| WA-LI-O-FANYA | -> waliofanya | that they made / who made |
3. THE FUTURE RELATIVE :
In future, an extra syllable -KA- must be inserted between the tense marker -TA- and the relative infix. The origin of this syllable is the verb ku-taka (= to want).
MODEL : KUFANYA = to make, to do
| NI-TAKA-YE-FANYA | -> nitakayefanya | that I will make / who will make |
| U-TAKA-YE-FANYA | -> utakayefanya | that you will make / who will make |
| A-TAKA-YE-FANYA | -> atakayefanya | that he/she will make / who will make |
| TU-TAKA-O-FANYA | -> tutakaofanya | that we will make / who will make |
| M-TAKA-O-FANYA | -> mtakaofanya | that you will make / who will make |
| WA-TAKA-O-FANYA | -> watakaofanya | that they will make / who will make |
EXAMPLES :
| Wageni watakaofika kesho watakwenda Zanzibar. | The guests who will arrive tomorrow will go to Zanzibar. |
| Miti itakaoangushwa itatumiwa hapa. | The trees that will be felled will be used here. |
| Gari nitakalolinunua litakuwa ghali sana. | The car that I will buy will be very expensive. |
| Mwanamke nitakayemwoa lazima apendeze. | The woman that I will marry will have to be attractive. |
4. THE NEGATIVE RELATIVE :
The negative form of the relative doesn't include any tense marker and can be used as well for the present, past and future. It is formed by inserting the negative infix -SI- between the subject prefix and the relative infix, which is in turn followed by the verbal root.
MODEL : KUFANYA = to make, to do
| NI-SI-YE-FANYA | -> nisiyefanya | I who do not make |
| U-SI-YE-FANYA | -> usiyefanya | you who do not make |
| A-SI-YE-FANYA | -> asiyefanya | he/she who does not make |
| TU-SI-O-FANYA | -> tusiofanya | we who do not make |
| M-SI-O-FANYA | -> msiofanya | you who do not make |
| WA-SI-O-FANYA | -> wasiofanya | they who do not make |
EXAMPLES :
Mtu asiyebaki The person who does/did/will not remain Watu wasiobaki The people who do/did/will not remain Mti usiofaa A tree which is/was/will not (be) appropriate Miti isiyofaa Trees which are/were/will not (be) appropriate Gari lisilokuja The car that does/did/will not come Magari yasiyokuja The cars that do/did/will not come Chakula kisichotosha The food which is/was/will not (be) enough Viti visivyovunjika Chairs that are/were/will not (be) broken Nguo isiyofuliwa A garment which is/was/will not (be) washed Nguo zisizopasiwa clothes which are/were/will not (be) ironed
5. THE RELATIVE AS A PRONOUN OBJECT :
| Compare : | The child who reads a book The book that the child reads |
In both cases, "the child" is the subject of "read" ; but in the 1st sentence, the relative pronoun, which is the subject of the verb, refers to the child, while in the 2nd sentence, the relative pronoun, which is the complement object, refers to the book.
To translate the 2nd sentence in Swahili, two conditions must be observed : the relative infix must agree with "book", and an object infix must be inserted in the verbal construction.
EXAMPLES :
Mtoto aliyesoma kitabu The child who read a book Kitabu alichokisoma mtoto The book that the child read Mzee aliyelima shamba The old man who cultivated the field Shamba alilolilima mzee The field that the old man cultivated Mimi nisiyesoma vitabu I who do/did not read books Vitabu nisivyovisoma The books that I do/did not read
VOCABULARY
| Pamba | cotton | Sumu | poison, toxin |
| Pembe | a tusk | Sura | figure, appearance |
| Pua | the nose | Taarifa | a report, a bulletin |
| Pumzi | breath | Tofauti | a difference |
| Raha | joy | Tumbako | tobacco |
| Siki | vinegar | Vifaa | equipment |
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :
- The knife that I gave you.
- The books which I bought.
- The tree that fell.
- The house which will fall.
- The fruit which were collected
- The young people who seek work.
- People who lived here.
- The pupils who will speak Swahili.
- The shop which sells various equipment.
- The old man who sells tobacco at the market.
- The cook who was fired from his job.
- The guests who arrived yesterday.
EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :
- Mwanafunzi aliyesoma vitavu vingi alipewa zawadi.
- Wale wanaosoma kiswahili watakwenda Kenya mwaka ujao.
- Mimi nisiyejua kiingereza, lazima niseme kiswahili.
- Usivae nguo yasiyopigwa pasi.
- Mpe mzee kiti kisichovunjika.
- Wanafunzi watakaofaulu mtihani watapewa cheti.
- Mpe maskini chakula kinachobaki.
- Huyu ni mtu anayetafuta kazi.
- Wageni waliofika jana watakwenda kesho Zanzibar.
- Mti mmoja ulioanguka umeharibu nyumba yangu.
- Miti yote iliyoanguka uani itatumika kwa kujenga nyumba mpya.
- Msichana nitakayemwoa lazima awe mzuri sana.
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