-na-
See also: Appendix:Variations of "na"
Chichewa
Alternative forms
- -da- (commonly used alternative)
Infix
-ná-
- Forms the past tense in verbs.
Usage notes
- To indicate the recent past, the high tone is shifted off the tense marker to the next syllable. Prescriptive grammars state that only the form -na- can be used this way, not -da-.
- Among most speakers, -na- and -da- are in free variation. The form -da- is most common in Malawi's Central Region, and was formerly designated as the standard.
Swahili
Pronunciation
Audio (Kenya) (file)
Infix
-na-
- positive present tense marker
- wanakula ― they are eating
- (in stative verbs) inceptive aspect marker
- wanalala ― they are falling asleep
- Inakuwa baridi. ― It is getting cold.
- (in second verb in a series) marker of simultaneity
- Near-synonym: -ki-
- (after -wa) continuous aspect marker
- nilikuwa ninaandika ― I was writing
Usage notes
This marker can be used in both nonrelative and relative verbs.
Conjugation
Conjugation of -na-
| Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | nina-/na- | tuna- | |
| 2nd person | una- | mna- | |
| 3rd person | m-wa(I/II) | ana- | wana- |
| m-mi(III/IV) | una- | ina- | |
| ji-ma(V/VI) | lina- | yana- | |
| ki-vi(VII/VIII) | kina- | vina- | |
| n(IX/X) | ina- | zina- | |
| u(XI) | una- | see n(X) or ma(VI) | |
| ku(XV/XVII) | kuna- | ||
| pa(XVI) | pana- | ||
| mu(XVIII) | mna- | ||
| For more information, see Appendix:Swahili verbs. | |||
See also
| Swahili TAM markers | |
|---|---|
| Initial | |
| Positive infinitive | ku-/kw-1 |
| Negative infinitive | kuto- |
| Habitual | hu-1 |
| Telegrammic | ka-1 |
| Final | |
| General (positive indicative) | -a |
| Positive subjunctive | -e |
| Negative present | -i |
| Second person plural | -ni |
| Infix position positive subject concord | |
| Positive past | -li- |
| Positive present | -na- |
| Positive future | -ta- |
| Negative subjunctive | -si-1 |
| Positive present conditional | -nge- |
| Negative present conditional | -singe- |
| Positive past conditional | -ngali- |
| Negative past conditional | -singali- |
| Gnomic | -a-1 |
| Perfect | -me- |
| "Already" past | -lisha- |
| "Already" present | -mesha-/-sha- |
| "If/When" | -ki-1 |
| "If not" | -sipo- |
| Consecutive | -ka-1 |
| Infix position negative subject concord | |
| Negative past | -ku-1 |
| Negative future | -ta- |
| "Not yet" | -ja-1 |
| Negative present conditional | -nge- |
| Negative past conditional | -ngali- |
| Relative | |
| Past | -li- |
| Present | -na- |
| Future | -taka- |
| Negative | -si- |
| 1 Can take stress and therefore does not require -ku-/-kw- in monosyllabic verbs. | |
References
- Carl Meinhof (1906) Grundzüge einer vergleichenden Grammatik der Bantusprachen, Dietrich Reimer, page 71
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