, [ I , , ,
du~ma... ___ ] tura~ma ••. [ ____ ] ntidu!!£ma .•• [ __ .," ] d u,2E.r a. • . [ _ ] t ur a cur a. • • [ _ .. ,,_] , n tid u ~r
a. . . [ __ ., " ]
tubaaza ••• [ ___ ] turabaaza ••• [ ____ ] 'ntitubaaza ••• [ ______ ,,]
du teeka .•• [_ _ _] tura teeka ••• [_ .... " . ] , ntidu~ka •••
L. ___ " ]
t~suura .•• [ ____ ] tura~suura .•• [ ____ .. ]' nti t~suu:ra .•• [. _ ... " _ ] du tegeera ••• [ ____ ] tura tegeera .•• [_., '_.]' n tidu tegeera ••• [. _ ., '" .. ]
The ROOT SYLLABLE of a verb form is whichever syllable contains the first part of the root of the verb. The root syl-lable may thus also contain a prefix: in the form twaandika, the root is -andik-, but the root syllable is twaa. The root syllables in the table have been underlined.
If the term Iroot syllablel is defined in this way, the tones of the verbs in the table may be reduced to a set of com-pact formulas:
CONJUNCT All tones
IOW.j
DISJUNCT
Anticipated high tone on root syllable of some verbs.
-NEGATIVE
Anticipated high tone on th€ syllable after root syllable of all verbs.
In many of their forms, all verbs which are alike in the number and length of their syllables are also alike in tone. This is true, for example, of the conjunct and the negative forms in this table. In others of their forms, verbs of a given syllable structure divide themselves into two groups with respect to their tonal behavior. The disjunct forms in the table are an example.
From this point on, ~hose verbs which act like -cur- and -teek-will be called HIGH VERBS, and those which are like -som- and
-baaz- will be called LOW VERBS. Almost allKlrundi verbs will fall into one of these two classes.
{For practice in tonal differentiation between high verbs and low verbs see Exercise 1, Column 2 of Exercise
3,
Column3
of Exercise
4,
Column 2 of Exercise5
and6.]
4. A note on the tonal pattern of certain reduplications.
Compare the tones of the word /buhoro/ Isoftly, slowlyl when it occurs only once, and when it occurs in reduplication:
bUhoro
, ,
buhoro buhoro
In this reduplicative construction, the first member has the basic tonal pattern of the word, whatever that may be. The
second member has an anticipated high tone on the first syllable followed by low tones. [This construction will not be made the subject of drill. ]
5. A note on the concord used when the antecedent is quoted material.
The subject of Sentences 5 and 11 is a quoted word:
Kuduuga bivug ikl?
a
80
What does kuduuga mean?
Kuduuga bivuga kuj
a
heejuru.
amahera ,
The subject prefix is that of Class 8.
Compare the use of the concord Urazi gusoma? , Do
, , ,
Ndabiizi neeza. I
Ndavyuumviise. , I of you know
the
Kuduuga means to climb.
same class in:
know how to read?
(it) very well.
understand it.
[For practice in this use of Cl. 8, see Exercise 6.]
Exercise 1. High verbs vs. low verbs: indicative inunediate affirmative disjunct vs. conjunct.
'Will John read much?! tNo, he will read little.
[
- ""\.. - - - - - - -
][ - - - -
., , " ]gusoma Yohaani arasoma caane2 Oya, as'oma buhvro.
kurima YohA.ani ararima caane:? Oya, arima , buboro.
, Yohaani , ,
kuvuga aravuga caane? Oya, avuga buhoro.
, Yohaani , ,
gukora arakora caane? Oya, akora buhoro.
Yohaani ,
kumesuura aramesuura caane:? Oya, amesuura buhoro.
Yohaani ,
kugoroora aragoroora caane? Oya, agoroora buhoro.
r
Exercise 2. Negative tone patterns in indicative immediate.
a. 3 sg. vs. 3 pl.
IHe doesn't carve much.
,
IThey don1t carve much. r[
,
]J
- - - - " ]- -
-, , ,
kubaaza Ntabaaza caane. Ntlbabaaza caane.
guteeka , 'Ntateeka ,
Ntibateeka
caane. caane.
gucura , , , ,
,-Ntacura caane. Ntibacura caane.
gusoma , Ntasoma , ,
caane. Ntibasoma caane.
, , , ,
kurima Ntarlma caane. Ntibarima caane.
, ,- , ,
kumesuura Ntamesuura caane. Ntlbamesuura caane.
, , ,
kwaandika Ntiyaandika caane. Ntlbaandlka caane.
b. 2 pl. vs. 2 sg.
, , , ,
kubaaza Ntlmubaaza caane? Ntubaaza caane?
, , , , ,
guteeka Ntimuteeka caane? Ntuteeka caane?
, , , ,
kumesuura Ntlmumesuura caane? Ntumesuura caane?
, , , ,
kugoroora Ntimugoroora caane? Ntugoroora caane?
, , ,
gusoma Ntlmusoma caane? Ntusoma caane?
, Ntlmwaandlka
, ,
kwaandika caane? Ntlwaandlka caane?
c. 1 pl. vs. I sg.
kubaaza Ntitubaaza caane. 'Slmbaaza caane.
kurlma 'Ntlturlma caane. 'Slndima caane.
82
, , ,
Simesuura
kumesuura Ntitumesuura caane. caane.
, , , ,
kugoroora Nti!ugoroora caane. Singoroora caane.
kuteeka , , , ,
Nt1duteeka caane. Sinteeka caane.
~ ,
Ntiducura ' ,
gucura caane. Sincura caane.
, , , ,
kwaand1ka Ntitwaandika caane. Sinaandika caane.
Exercise
3.
Affirmative disjunct vs. negative.a. 2 pl. and I pl.
IDo you (pl.) write much?' INo, we write little. t
r--
~_]kwaandika Muraandika caane?
, , ,
gucura Muracura caane?
,
gusoma Murasoma caane?
guteeka , ,
Murateeka caane?
,
lQlbaaza Murabaa~d caane?
,
kurima Murarima caane?
,
kumesuura Muramesuura caane?
b. 2 sg. and I sg.
Oya. Ntiduteeka caane.
Oya. , ,
-Oya. Sinaandika caane.
, Sinsoma
Oya. caane.
Oya. , ,
Sindima caane.
, , , ,
gucura Uracura caane? Oya. Sincura caane.
, ,
kubaaza Urabaaza caane? Oya. Simbaaza caane.
, , ,
Sinteeka
guteeka Urateeka caane? Oya. caane.
, ,
kumesuura Uramesuura caane? Oya. Simesuura caane.
Exercise 4. Negative immediate vs. infinitive. [Note that in this exercise, high verbs are distinguished from low verbs in Column 3, but not in Column 2.)
I I dontt carve much. r tI don't know how to
carve. I
, , , ,
kubaaza Simbaaza caane. Siinzi kubaaza.
, , , , , ,
guteeka Sinteeka caane. Siinzi guteeka.
'Sinsoma , ,
gusoma caane. Siinzi gusoma.
, , , , , ,
gucura Sincura caane. Siinzl gucura.
, , , ,
kumesuura Simesuura caane. Siinzl kumesuura.
, , , ,
kwaandika Sinaandlka caane. Siinzi kwaandika.
Exercise 5. /-bi-/ as an object prefix when the antecedent is an infinitive phrase.
he
you (pl.)
1Do you like to climb mountains?1
Urakuunda kuduug imisozi?
a
ArakUunda kuduug imisozi?
a
I I don't like to. I
'Sindabikuunda. or:
'Simbikuunda.
'Ntabikuunda.
Murakuunda kuduug imisozi? 'Ntitubikuunda.
a
84
they kumenya you (pl.) you (sg,.)
he
Barakuunda kuduug imisozi?
a
Baraazi kuduug imisozi?
a
Muraazi kuduug imisozi?
a
Uraazi kuduug imisozl?
a
Araazi kuduug imisozi?
a
Conversation practice 1.
., ,
Ntibabikuunda.
, ,
Ntibabiizi.
, ,
Ntitubiizi.
, ,
Sindabiizi or:
'Simbilz1.
'Ntabi:Lzi.
~he student should ask the teacher the meanings of the following words. (Each is a synonym or near synonym
or
someword which has already been learned.) igisata
guhiindukira gushika
igikorwa
Conversation practice 2. (Student's book closed.)
The student should pick the unfamiliar word out of each sentence, and ask its meaning.
Nkora mu gakaabo.
Ibi n
1 ibltaro.
Uvahe?
UNIT
5
Mbe ikiruundi kiragooye [
, -
]Dialogue 2.
[
- -
~ , .- -; ]7c Ushaaka gukor iki?
a
[-
- - - ----
,-
~]8D Nshaaka gutaangura [ kwiig
-...
,-
ikiruundi.-
-'" ,-
]a ,
-zoo--fasha (-fashije) [- ""-
- - - - -
]9C
Ushaatse nzoogufasha.[ - - " ' - - - ]
Ikiruundi na ikinyarwaanda [ 'ni bimwe?
-
' ~-
][--' ---'
]14E Urafls igitabo c
e a
[,_../' - ] lkiruundi?
[-"'-l5F Eego.
--
~-
---",.
]Ndafise ciiza.
umwilgiisha
(1, 2)
Do you have a Kirundi book?
Yes, I have [a] good [one].
teacher who?
[ - - " - - , " " " - - ]
l6E Umwilgiisha waawe ~niinde? Who is your teacher?
ntuuze [ - - - ' - ] l7F Ni ntuuze.
1. A note on object prefixes.
so-and-so It's So-and-so.
Object prefixes have already been discussed in Units 2 and 4. In the former, a table of personal object prefixes was given. The non-personal object prefixes are listed in the synopsis (p. xxii).
[For practice in using the object prefixes that correspond to inanimate nouns, see Exercises 5 and 6.]
In Kirundi, more than one object prefix may be used in the same verb:
nzookikwiiza
--===
1111 teach it to you. (11111 cause you (/-kw-/) to learn it ( / - ki - / ) )[Forms with two object prefixes will not be made the goal of in-tensive drill in this course.]
88
2. A note on adjectives used in noun positions.
In the sentence:
, ,
Ndafise ciiza. I have a good [one].
(The phrase /ndafls iciiza/ is rarer than the above, e and is slightly different in meaning.)
the word /ciiza/ is an adjective, but it is used as the object of the verb /ndaflse/. This is of course one of the positions normally occupied by a noun or a noun phrase. Note that there is no augment (initial vowel) as there would be if the phrase contained a noun:
" "
ndafis !.gi tabo ciiza I have a good book.
e
" "
ndafis ikiindi gitabo
e I have another book.
[For practice on this point, see Exercise
7.]
3.
A note on the difference between perfective and imperfective verb stems.Some of the verb forms that have been met so far end in
/-a/, while others end in /-e/. Except for imperative and subjunctive forms, this distinction in form stands for a difference in ASPECT.
The word aspect is a grammarianls term for the shape of an action in time, just as the word tense is used in talking about the
placement of an action along the time axis.
Kirundi has a two way aspectual distinction between Im-perfective and Im-perfective verb forms. An imperfective form is one that stands for a continuing action, while a perfective form stands for one that is thought of as being completed. A majority of the forms of a Kirundi verb, regardless of tense, are either imperfective or perfective, and have otherwise synonymous counter-parts in the other aspect. Imperfective forms end in /-a/, per-fective forms end in /-e/, and the /-e/ is either preceded by
/-y-/,
or there is a difference between the final consonant of the im-perfective and the im-perfective form:
A verb which has a perfective in
/-yel,
with no consonant change, isI-soma/.
Usom ik1?
a
Usomy ik1?
e
What subject are you reading?
What did you understand [as you read just now]?
A verb which has a difference between the last consonant of corresponding perfective and imperfective forms is fturuka/:
Aturukahe? Where is he from?
Aturutsehe? Where is he coming from?
An example of strikingly different imperfective and perfective forms is:
Ageenda kw iisoko.
Agiiye kw iisoko.
He goes to the market.
He has just gone to the market.
The consonant of the perfective form can often be guessed if one knows the consonant of the imperfective, but be-cause there are a number of irregular verbs, the student is advised to learn the perfective stem of each verb separately, at least
in the beginning.
The consonant of the imperfective of any verb is the same as the consonant of the infinitive. Exercise 1 therefore serves to provide examples of the imperfective and perfective consonants of some of the verbs from preceding dialogues, and also provides an occasion for practice in making this consonant alternation.
90
4.
A note on the translation equivalents of many English adjectives.Kirundi, like many other Bantu languages, has a very small number of words which behave like the adjectives of Indo-European languages. The stem /-iza/ Igood1 with its various concordial prefixes, is one such adjective.
Most translations of Indo-European adjectives in Kirundi are actually verb forms. Thus in,
Ikiruundl klragooye kwl1ga. Kirundi is hard to learn.
the verb /kiragooye/ corresponds to English 'is hard'. The subject prefix /ki-/ is in agreement with the subject /Ikiruundi/; /-ra-/ is of course the disjunct prefix) the
/-e/
is a part of the mark of perfective aspect.The infinitive form of this same verb is /kugoora/ Ito give difficulty. t A very literal translation of the perfective form /kiragooye/ might be tit has completed the process of giving difficul ty .•
[Exercises 2 and 3 provide some examples of new verbs
wh~ch translate English adjectives.]
N.B. The phrases met so far correspond to English be plus adjective: 'the language is hard. t The student should not at this time try to make phrases that correspond to English ad-jective-noun phrases: la hard language,' since this requires a special tonal pattern on the verb.
Students who are familiar with Swahili will recognize, in the use of the perfective aspect in these forms, a parallel
with the use of the /-me-/ tense in such Swahili forms as /lmeharibika/
lit is spoi1ed. t
Exercise 1. Perfective vs. imperfective stems, as exemplified
YOhaan1 agorooYe impuuzu.
YOhaan
i amesuuYe impuuzu.
Yohaan. yaandits ikeete.
1 a
[---
~ --~---J
~ ~Araazi gusoma neeza.
Araazi kugoroora neeza.
Araazi kumesuura neeza.
Araazi kwaandika neeza.
kugeendeesha YOhaani ageendeesheje umuduga. Araazi kugeendesh umuduga neeza.
kuvuga YOhaani avuz
e ikiruundi.
kuduuga YOhaani aduuz e umuSQzi.
~ , ,
Araazi kuvuga lkiruundi
~ ,
neeza.
Araazi kuduug imisozi , , a
neeza.
Exercise 2. Perfective forms that correspond to English be plus adjective. Concord between subject and verb.
Igiswaahiri
Is Klnyarwaanda hard?
Is Klnyarwaanda easy?
~ ,
Urwo rurimi rurooroshe?
Izo ndlml zirooroshe?
ExercIse 3. (Continuation of Exercise 2)
~ Urwo rurimi rurooroshe?
igltabo Ico gitabo kirooroshe?
ibitabo Ivyo bitabo birooroshe?
kuzIimba Ivyo bitabo blrazIimvye?
Ito become
Iyo midug iraziimvye?
a
" ,
Iyo mashiln iraziimvye?
1
, ,
Izo mashiini ziraziimvye?
Is SwahilI easy?
Are those motorcycles expensive?
kuremeera Ito become heavyl
, ,
1zo mashiini ziraremeereye? Are those machines heavy?
Ivyo bitabo biraremeereye?
Ico gitabo kiraremeereye?
1ryo keet riraremeereye?
, e
Iryo keet rirahwahutse?
e
Ico gltabo kirahwahutse?
Izo mpuuzu zlrahwahutse? ,
Izo mpuuzu ziraziimbuutse? ,
Iyo pikipik. iraziimbuutse?
l
Ayo mapiklpik.
araziimbuu-l
ta.e?
urubaangaangwe Urwo rUbaangaangwe ruraziimbuutse?
imbaangaangwe Izo mbaangaangwe ziraziimbuutse?
Are those motorcycles cheap?
Is that bicycle cheap?
Are those bicycles cheap?
Exercise
4.
Immediate disjunct affirmative vs. immediate negative. Ikiruundi klragooye kwliga?Ikiruundi kiragooye kuvuga?
Ikiruundi kirooroshe kuvuga?
Ikiruundi kirooroshe kwliga?
Ikiruundi kiragooye kwliga?
IkiruUndi kiragooye kwuumva?
Ikiruundi kirooroshe kwuumva?
, ,
Ikiruundi kirooroshe gusoma?
Ikiruundi kiragooye gusoma? ,
tIt is not hard to learn.
igitabo igitabo caanje? Ndakiboonye.
e
icaambarwa (caanje) , ,
Uraboony icaambarwa caanje? Ndakiboonye. ,
, e ,
ibitabo (vyaanje) Uraboony ibitabo vyaanje? Ndabiboonye.
e
, , , ,
ivyaambarwa Uraboony ivyaambarwa vyaanje? Ndabiboonye.
(vyaanje) e
ikeete , ,
Ndar1boonye.
Uraboony e ikeete ryaanje?
, (yaanJe) , ,
.-impuuzu Uraboony Impuuzu yaanje? Ndayiboonye.
e
, {zaanje) ,
,
,impuuzu Uraboonye Impuuzu zaanje? Ndaziboonye.
umwilgiisha (waanje) Uraboonye , umwl1gilSha waanje? Ndamuboonye.
, (baanje) , abl1g11sha baanje? ,
abiigiisha Uraboonye Ndababoonye.
, , ,
umushofeeri (waanje) Uraboonye umushofeerl waanje? Ndamuboonye.
, (waanje) , ,
Ndawuboonye.
umuduga Uraboonye umuduga waanje?
ibiro(vyaanje) , ,
Uraboonye Iblro vyaanje? Ndabiboonye.
, ,
ipikiplki (yaanje) Uraboonye Iplklplkl yaanJe? Ndayiboonye.
, , , , , ,
urubaangaangwe Uraboonye urubaangaangwe Ndaruboonye.
(rwaanje)
umukaraani Urakeney umukaraani?
, , e ,
abakaraani Urakeney abakaraani?
e
abashuumba Urakeney abashuumba?
e
umushuumba Urakeney umushuumba?
, , e
urubaangaangwe?
urubaangaangwe Urakeney e
ibiro Urakeney ibiro?
, e ,
impuuzu Urakeney
e impuuzu?
ikiintu Urakeney lkiintu?
e
ibitabo Urakeney ibitabo?
e
Exercise
7.
Adjective used in a noun position.urubaangaangwe Urafls urubaangaangwe?
e Ndaflse rWliza. Nshaaka kwlig ikiruundi.
a
Bashaaka kwlig ikiruundi.
a
Ntibashaaka kwlig ikiruundi.
a
Ntibashaaka kuvug ikiruundi.
a
Siinzl gusom ikiruundi.
a
Siinzi kugeenda kw iisoko. I never ('I don't know how tot) Ntashobora kugeenda kw iisoko.
Ntashaaka kugeenda kw iisoko.
Ntashaaka kwlig ikiruundi.
a
Nshaaka kwlig lkiruundi.
a
Exercise 9. Random substitutions.
Sinuumvlis
Ntibategeerele urwo rurimi.
NtibategeereYe 19lswaahlri.
Ndakuunda kuvug 191swaah1rl.
---~a
Ndakuunda kuvug buhoro.
a
They don't understand Swahili.
I like to speak Swahili.
I like to speak slowly.
Drive slowly.
Practice Conversation 1.