-zi

See also: Appendix:Variations of "zi"

Swahili

Alternative forms
  • (after a consonant) -i

Etymology

What are now vowel-final verb stems originally had an -l-, which resurfaces whenever a suffix is added. After addition of the suffix -i, this -l- was then spirantized to -z-.

Suffix

-zi

  1. suffix used after a vowel in nominal forms of verbs, in conjunction with a noun class prefix
    ‎-kimbia (“to run”) + ‎-zi → ‎mkimbizi (“refugee”)
    ‎-teua (“to choose”) + ‎-zi → ‎uteuzi (“nomination”)

See also
Swahili terms suffixed with -zi
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