Concord
Swahili phrases agree with nouns in a system of concord, though if the noun refers to a human, they accord with noun classes 1 & 2 regardless of noun class. Verbs agree with the noun class of their subjects and objects; adjectives, prepositions, and demonstratives agree with the noun class of their nouns. In Standard Swahili (Kiswahili sanifu) which was based on the dialect spoken in Zanzibar the system is rather complex; however, it is drastically simplified in many local variants where Swahili is not the native language, such as in Nairobi.
In places where Standard Swahili is not commonly used, concord reflects only animacy. Human subjects and objects trigger a-, wa- and m-, wa- in verbal concord, while non-human subjects and objects—of whatever class—trigger i-, zi-, and infinitive verbs vary between standard ku- and reduced i-. ("Of" is animate wa and inanimate ya, za.) In Standard Swahili, human subjects and objects of whatever class trigger animacy concord in a-, wa- and m-, wa-, while non-human subjects and objects trigger a variety of gender-concord prefixes.
| NC | Semantic field |
Noun -C, -V |
Subj. | Obj | -a | Adjective -C, -i, -e |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | person | m-, mw- | a- | m- | wa | m-, mwi-, mwe- |
| 2 | people | wa-, w- | wa- | wa- | wa | wa-, we-, we- |
| 3 | tree | m- | u- | wa | m-, mwi-, mwe- | |
| 4 | trees | mi- | i- | ya | mi-, mi-, mye- | |
| 5 | group, AUG | ji-/Ø, j- | li- | la | ji-/Ø, ji-, je- | |
| 6 | groups, AUG | ma- | ya- | ya | ma-, mi-, me- | |
| 7 | tool, DIM | ki-, ch- | ki- | cha | ki-, ki-, che- | |
| 8 | tools, DIM | vi-, vy- | vi- | vya | vi-, vi-, vye- | |
| 9 | animals, 'other', loanwords |
N- | i- | ya | N-, nyi-, nye- | |
| 10 | zi- | za | ||||
| 11 | extension | u-, w-/uw- | u- | wa | m-, mwi-, mwe- | |
| 10 | (plural of 11) | N- | zi- | za | N-, nyi-, nye- | |
| 14 | abstraction | u-, w-/uw- | u- | wa | m-, mwi-, mwe- or u-, wi-, we- |
|
| 15 | infinitives | ku-, kw- | ku- | kwa- | ku-, kwi-, kwe- | |
| 16 | position | -ni, mahali | pa- | pa | pa-, pi-, pe- | |
| 17 | direction, around | -ni | ku- | kwa | ku-, kwi-, kwe- | |
| 18 | within, along | -ni | mu- | mwa | mu-, mwi-, mwe- | |
Read more about this topic: Swahili Language
Famous quotes containing the word concord:
“Certainly there is not the fight recorded in Concord history, at least, if in the history of America, that will bear a moment’s comparison with this, whether for the numbers engaged in it, or for the patriotism and heroism displayed.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I have hardly begun to live on Staten Island yet; but, like the man who, when forbidden to tread on English ground, carried Scottish ground in his boots, I carry Concord ground in my boots and in my hat,—and am I not made of Concord dust? I cannot realize that it is the roar of the sea I hear now, and not the wind in Walden woods. I find more of Concord, after all, in the prospect of the sea, beyond Sandy Hook, than in the fields and woods.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)