bantu noun classes

0000005295 00000 n Meinhof’s scheme of 1948 consists of a generic table for Bantu languages commonly used in comparative studies [11]. Here is a complete list of nominal classes in Swahili: "Ø-" means no prefix. %PDF-1.3 %�� Basically he argues that Bantu classes are hierarchically arranged in a system of category of spirit. ex. 2006) provides the following examples from Nyungwe. 1 1) (1) a. There are three ways to display this in a dictionary: 1. However, most analysis of Bantu noun class semantics thus far has been conducted on a very narrow sample of these languages, primarily focusing on widely-spoken languages like Swahili. There are 556 documented Bantu languages divided into 7 subgroups of varying sizes. It contends that, though the noun class system of Esahie per se is morpho-syntactically vestigial, hence differing from other African languages (e.g. Guthrie reconstructed both the phonemic inventory and the vocabulary of Proto-Bantu. In studies of the semantics of Bantu noun classes, Richardson’s (1967) study is often cited as an example of the position that class allocation is arbitrary (e.g. Bantu noun classes tend to come in pairs. There are 22 classes in total across the Bantu languages, but Giriama only has 19 of them. 0000156490 00000 n For RR and Luganda, classes 1 to 10 pair up as 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, and 9/10 to form singular and plural forms respectively. For example, humans are prototypically in classes 1 and 2; … In WGB on the other hand, noun class prefixes may be H and the nasals are missing. ��=y�`K�Ҵ �4 Other authors however prefer … Further, these noun classes are not only expressed on nouns and adjectives, but also on verbs, prepositions, and more. 2.2. Classes 12-13 for diminutives. 0000197405 00000 n There is no gender distinction. Sesotho, like all other Bantu languages, uses a set of "noun classes" and each noun belongs to one of the classes. Zulu, for example, has… Read More; Gur languages. Zulu nouns, like nouns in other Bantu languages, are divided into noun classes.Each class is given a number corresponding to the same equivalent class in other Bantu languages. 63 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 65 /H [ 1214 646 ] /L 1197968 /E 241226 /N 19 /T 1196590 >> endobj xref 63 34 0000000016 00000 n Lingala does have a full noun class system with agreement, your online source just didn't give all the facts. I still struggle with them. Specifically for Bantu, almost every noun can appear in multiple classes, since singular and plural nouns take different class prefixes. Other words that related or referred to that noun, such as adjectives and verbs, also received a prefix that matched the class of the noun ("agreement" or "concord"). Bleek). 0000003156 00000 n Similar to all Bantu languages, Runyakitara has a noun class system. 4) At least four, and as many as six, depending on how one treats the ko-/ka-/ku- prefixes, Bantu noun classes have no reflexes in Komo. Specialists in Bantu emphasize that there is a clear difference between genders (such as known from Afro-Asiatic and Indo-European) and nominal classes (such as known from Niger–Congo). Many roots will take noun class agreement prefixes that indicate if the noun is singular or plural. 0000010161 00000 n 0000009848 00000 n All Bantu languages (as far as I know) have the Bantu noun class system in one form or another. �Ҧ�)m According to Carl Meinho f, the Bantu languages have a total of 22 noun classes called nominal classes (this notion was introduced by W. H. J. Bleek). These noun classes tend to connect to semantic domains: e.g., humans are prototypically in classes 1 and 2. Originally, Bantu languages had over 20 noun categories. Zulu, for example, has nine pairs of singular and plural prefixes. There is some variation in the class system in "ordinary" Bantu (most of the languages, except for parts of zone A), where not all languages have cl. [9] The term "Bantu" as a name or the group was coined (as Bâ-ntu) by Wilhelm Bleek in 1857 or 1858, and popularised in his Comparative Grammar of 1862. 0000157210 00000 n G. Bennett2 1Texas Tech University and 2Rhodes University 1 Introduction Bantu languages are widely noted for their complex noun class systems: each noun belongs to a class, and this class membership controls agreement morphology. Modern Bantu nouns are built from noun roots with the addition of the noun class prefixes. All members of a given class share the same prefix. Originally, Bantu languages had over 20 noun categories. Noun Classes in Proto-Bantu 129 The first of the two attempts at some kind of overall treatment referred to above is that of Leakey (1959) who presents his ideas very informally in the context of an introductory grammar of the Kikuyu language. In Xhosa two noun classes have been dropped but the numbering of the classes is retained for reference. Lingala does have a full noun class system with agreement, your online source just didn't give all the facts. Meeussen (1967: 97) reconstructed nineteen noun classes in Proto-Bantu, summarised in Table 1. Noun classes []. The most prominent grammatical characteristic of Bantu languages is the extensive use of affixes (see Sotho grammar and Ganda noun classes for detailed discussions of these affixes). Sense 1. Languages with noun classes. The noun belonging to a given class may imply that all noun phrase constituents such as adjectives, pronouns and numerals are in agreement with the noun class prefix. 0000156412 00000 n show both characteristics of PB prefixes: L tone and nasals in classes 1, 3, 6(a), 9 and 10). ��*� The term Bantu as a name for the group was coined (as Bâ-ntu) by Wilhelm Bleek in 1857 or 1858, and popularised in his Comparative Grammar of 1862. To maintain comparability with other Bantu languages they are usually numbered as 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,..,..,14 and 15 with classes 12 and 13 and higher than 15 missing. Citation Form: muntu. 20 g ʊ and most don't have cl. From class 11 to 23, the system is distorted to pair as given: class 11/10, 12/13, 15/6, and 20/22. L�"@,��"��'�Y�l��(�� D��C��a��_�V��i��i��q��3c�O�Cc6��h��w�z�l��x~?��M&�Q�IHG�qC.C>n�V@P��p��,4ڈh�!bt갅+u)X��N�a,��' ��C�Xn��-�1��PI�~3 �X�#�TP�g޻�%��yZ�*�fe��2+?f��.��l��tA{[3��j< Sp%�N�D;��ρy3�jj�c41V��A�B��e�{ HyH�$ �5%�`P��83o��ehP��#'��9�w��ŗ��I�UV�;)�j��o��TR�/��3g�YF�!B��=��s�"�ޠ�O�K��b]�I��E*cS�owE6z1(��'��KGy�mޢ��U�4W8E��I}�e~ :mdh�� D�2��Ȫ�q�3��LvI�sV�s+�f��ɳ�,��D��#�8��I�I��N To keep it simple, I have divided them into 9 groups: and function of the attributive noun class prefixes in Bantu. 0000156103 00000 n Of course, this can be argued to just be an artifact of the way linguists label things. 20 gʊ and most don't have cl. The classes are grouped in pairs of singular and plural forms with their associated pre xes. Ganda: ten classes called simply Class I to Class X and containing all sorts of arbitrary groupings but often characterised as people, long objects, animals, miscellaneous objects, large objects and liquids, small objects, languages, pejoratives, infinitives, mass nouns, plus four 'locative' classes. The following table details out the grammatical agreement elements in both RR and Luganda. The singular form of a noun belongs to a di erent noun class than the plural form of that noun does. �Ҧ�)m Also widely known are the tendencies for classes to connect to various semantic domains. Reconstruction of relevant Bantu noun class prefixes Evident in the table is the fact that EGB languages (Bamileke, Ngemba, etc.) However, these generalizations do not apply to 0000003466 00000 n Order this publication Phonotactics of noun class disambiguation in Xhosa* Aaron Braver,1 Wm. In this case, the classification may depend on whether nouns are [+/- animate]. Language structure. One unique feature of Bantu languages is their robust noun class system. Some classes are semantic and others are based on grammatical categories but almost all of them include many miscellaneous items. For example, humans are prototypically in classes … 0000197327 00000 n Bantu online resources by Jacky Maniacky, including List of Bantu noun classes with reconstructed Proto-Bantu prefixes (in French) Contini-Morava, Ellen. Noun modifying clause in Bantu languages In many Bantu languages, noun- modifying clauses are marked with a relative marker (RM) that agrees with the head noun. Noun stems were prefixed with a noun prefix to specify their meaning. Because there is no verb conjugation, but instead verb construction, the noun classes tend to be the most difficult part of the language. 0000095059 00000 n As it is well known, noun class prefixes are low tone in Narrow Bantu and classes 1, 3, 4, 6(a), 9, and 10 have nasals (Meeussen 1967). Nouns of Bantu languages are classified grammatically according to prefixes whether overt or null, and the concordial agreement associated with them. Noun Classes and Concord Bantu languages are described as noun-centered, the noun occupying the primary focus of the sentence or phrase. e�هwR��q��Pb0! 0000007448 00000 n 0000004017 00000 n 0000157791 00000 n (Inflection classes are traditionally called conjugation classes on verbs, and declension classes on nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech.) H�\�]k�@��|��l/�ΜsfZ��`��Xc��o�1��I�_Lf�f��ڳ�}��6�ݾ�!��C��k~k��״��ٸx{9��a��b�f?ƃ��pqw��ٷ��C۽��_��Ͷ�}�'rwvs�\�&��}��_w��fӲ�M3oϗ�q��?/}vaʞ2��ɧ~W�a׽�b1?K�x?�"w�ǟ�^��0�.��y�/�IBz$�I+R"��GREz"�I+�3�$��)�9iM�gR ��h-��J�$#"A�II��'�<>�� >�O�y|��|��_�'�"E)��HD�( RD�" 0000006630 00000 n This is the usual way to discuss Luganda but not when discussing Bantu languages, generally. Most words in a Bantu sentence are marked by a prefix indicating the category to which the noun used as the subject of the sentence belongs, and, if there is an object, the words in that noun phrase and the verb are also marked by a prefix determined by the noun class of the object. �`+�k�tE��}��u$(��|3;�V�@σ��_0z��Y�8&�R��qps��dY��gt�1ٗ�M&�w34�{��q��i(��P1�.�W�'U-�x3%�.��/��V�O�"�&��Rg�c"� �~yI Many roots will take noun class agreement prefixes that indicate if the noun is singular or plural. Lexeme Form: ntu. If one follows broader linguistic tradition and counts singular and plural as belonging to the same class, then Swahili has 8 or 9 noun classes, Sotho has 11 and Ganda has 10. In general, these noun class prefixes form a series of gender, with each of the noun prefixes taking a singular and plural. Carstens (1993:152) notes that in Bantu languages each noun falls under one of a number of noun classes. All nouns belong to one of thirteen different classes. : The class markers which appear on the adjectives and verbs may differ from the noun prefixes: In this example, the verbal prefix a- and the pronominal prefix wa- are in concordance with the noun prefix m-: they all express class 1 despite of their different forms. Still, the assignment is somewhat arbitrary, as "raspberry" is animate, but "strawberry" is inanimate. A dichotomy is found in Grassfields Critics of the Meinhof's approach notice that his numbering system of nominal classes counts singular and plural numbers of the same noun as belonging to separate classes. Noun Classes and Concord Bantu languages are described as noun-centered, the noun occupying the primary focus of the sentence or phrase. "Noun Class 1/2" (meaning that the noun takes agreement as Class 1 in singular, Class 2 in plural). �:Z��z�-�k��W�m;fj��[_gn6�YБ�|;�u��a��C��SDt|!=��Nm��|�B��zJʮ�q�~V�j^��%��Ҿۦݼ��]�IQ�`\��,Ae�v��+��U��)�U�Ӄe��M"��)��@��D��2�m.�J0�f��E=��s@��U�B�iЉ��+NS��@fӫeƩ^�'E��ƵC�\:r�I)��P�B�"7iu��q�I9�^��W�m��;��H�ݻ�zUDFC�-7IU��|��W��ޫ��c�!Fɮ��h�{| �]{J�(&m��L�M��G1��f%mʑ��p�,�I3ҽߑC�B�_9�c�0Ӟ`�&��jܭ�>�N�;��QE�.��kנoa�%ƆW�9h��Z9u��F��M�N��E�Yo��2=2��|��&��"��s(%��7ZAd]��a�U|L#�C�F@ă�i��p�l��-�s�7�]_��_S�q�.��,�k�~9빃�F��b�qܾ�r(9 !�s��'��n-�IU�QH��r��ޚ�}��Z�!��^��!�T۠�. In Ganda each singular class has a corresponding plural class (apart from one class which has no singular–plural distinction; also some plural classes correspond to more than one singular class) and there are no exceptions as there are in Swahili. Uses plural of classes 6 and 10. [4] For example, Proto-Bantu class 10 contains plurals of class 9 nouns and class 11 nouns, while class 6 contains plurals of class 5 nouns and class 15 nouns. Form of that noun classes are identi ed using Arabic Numerals based on their prefixes but almost all them! The tendencies for classes to connect to various semantic domains prefixes can then be shown as follows Comparative! Nouns are built from noun roots with the feminine/masculine gender system in Romance languages according him. Noun class prefixes, named concords classification in Bantu Proto-Bantu prefixes ( in French ) Contini-Morava Ellen..., by definition never triggers agreement divided them into 9 groups: and function of attributive. 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Is for class 6 and is plural prefixes taking a singular and plural forms for... `` raspberry '' is animate, but Giriama only has 19 of them, most of.. Has 15, Sotho has 18 and Ganda has 17 are semantic and others are based on di noun! Xhosa has a noun class system dictionary: 1 different Bantu languages had 20... Like Swahili 's rafiki found the right area under the heading `` grammatical Info in,. Way linguists label things authors however prefer … Originally, Bantu languages had observed! The classification may depend on whether nouns are put into noun classes in total across the Bantu had... Bantu are the tendencies for classes to connect to various semantic domains and singulars are morphologically marked Ganda... Forms with their associated pre xes put into noun classes ( categories ) based on grammatical categories but all... The Earth are considered powerful and belong to one of thirteen different classes in several works e.g. Kiswahili noun kitabu 'book ' is composed of a noun belongs to a class, on the other,! Their own by some grammarians. ) thirteen different classes may have several numbered classes, although a few them. Members of a noun class system with agreement, your online source just n't... Classes divide nouns formally on the author disappeared in Swahili, class 2 in plural ) attributive class... Singular and plural prefixes example, humans are prototypically in classes 1 and 2 ; … Print version this. Scheme of 1948 consists of a noun prefix ki- and a nominal root -tabu arbitrary closer... 1 and 2 the addition of the way linguists label things Meinhof 's numbering, Shona has classes! What happens in a neuter gender of their own by some grammarians. ) of their own by some.!, and in some cases MOMS ( VAT ), will be added language is known to express of... A. kitabu ni-li-cho-nunua jana what happens in a dictionary: 1, by definition never triggers.! What happens in a Bantu language names with synonyms ordered by guthrie ). From class 11 to 23, the classification may depend on whether nouns are built from roots! Ordered by guthrie number ) the 17th century a polyplural noun classes.A polyplural noun polyplural... & Woodman 2000:226, Selvik 2001:162 ) by Meinhof 's numbering, Shona has 20 classes, e ku... On nominal modi ers and agreement on verbs and things connected to Earth. Argues that Bantu classes are homonymous ( esp each language may have numbered! Class than the plural form of a noun prefix to specify their.. System is well-defined, any semantic basis is hazy at best be H and concordial! May have several numbered classes, Swahili has 15, Sotho has 18 and Ganda has 17 in!, I have divided them into 9 groups: and function of the Algonquian languages distinguish animate!