Swahili language

Noun classes

In common with all Bantu languages, Swahili grammar arranges nouns into a number of classes. A total of 22 noun classes - according to the Meinhof system - are possible across all Bantu languages, with all languages sharing at least ten of these. Swahili employs a total of fifteen noun classes. Words beginning with m- whose plural changes it to wa- denote persons, e.g. mtoto 'child', plural watoto. The infinitive of verbs begins with ku-, e.g. kusoma 'to read'. Other classes are harder to categorize. Singulars beginning ki- take plurals in vi-: this even applies to foreign words where the ki- is originally part of the root, not a prefix, so vitabu 'books' (the singular form, kitabu, was borrowed from Arabic kitāb, 'book'). This class also contains diminutives, and languages (cf. the name of the language in Swahili: Kiswahili). Words beginning with u- are often abstract, with no plural, e.g. utoto 'childhood'.

Related Topics:
Grammar - Classes - Infinitive - Arabic - Diminutives

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A fifth class begins with n- or m- or nothing, and its plural is the same. Another m- class takes plurals in mi-, e.g. mti 'tree', miti trees. Another class usually has no prefix in the singular, and takes ma- in the plural. When the noun itself does not make clear which class it belongs to, its concords do. Adjectives and numerals take the noun prefixes, and verbs take a different set of prefixes.

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Mtoto mmoja anasoma Watoto wawili wanasoma

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child one is reading children two are reading

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One child is reading Two children are reading

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Kitabu kimoja kinatosha Vitabu viwili vinatosha

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book one suffices books two suffice

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One book suffices Two books suffice

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Ndizi moja inatosha Ndizi mbili zinatosha

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banana one suffices bananas two suffice

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One banana suffices Two bananas suffice

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