1-15-09
Inroduction to Zulu
w/ Professor Zoliswa Olga Mali
@ the BU African Studies Center
Ngiyaxolisa - I am sorry
Ngi = I
ya = am, go
xolisa = sorry
ngoba ngifike leythi - because I arrived late
ngoba = because
ngi - fike = I arrived
fike - e indicates past tense (fika is present/imperative)
leythi = (cognate) late
Introductions:
Ngingu Zoliswa - I am Zoliswa (or is it Ngi nguZoliswa ?)
ngu = am
Igama lami nguNoah - My name is Noah
Name of me isNoah
Isibongo sami nguMcKenna - My last name is Noah
surname of me isMcKenna
Ngubani igama lakho? - What is your name?
who name is what
Isibongo saike? - what is your last name?
Mina = as for me
lo = he/she
commands:
hlala phansi = sit down (is phansi a cognate?)
sit
masifunde - let us read
masi + funda
let us to read, study, learn (why the -e?)
Thula - shut up
*Note: all nouns begin with a vowel, but in direct communication, it is omitted
family members:
brother = (u)bhuti OR umfowethu (-wethu is possessive - our or my?)
sister = (u)sisi OR udadewethu
father = (u)dada
mother = (u)mama (-wethu)
Cultural note: when shaking hands with or accepting something from venerated person (elder, teacher, elder etc), use both hands
Greetings:
Sawubona (also sakubona) - hello, what's up (literally - we see you)
sanibona (pl)
response: Yebo, sawubona ______
note: always follow Sawubona with a name or appropriate substitute (e.g. mama for a married woman)
Linguistics:
-isiZulu belongs to the Ngoni language cluster of the Southern African Bantu family
-isiXhosa, isiSwazi (Siswati to them, no z sound), others...
Mzanzi = south (as in Mzanzi Africa)
synonym: Ningizimu
Umfundisi = teacher
synonym: (u)Tisha (cognate)
pronunciation and accent note: when "di" is up/accented it means teacher
when "disi" is down, means priest
Noxolo = Moher of Peace (woman's name)
Ngiyabonga = thank you
I am to thank
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Corrections
1. Isibongo saike? - what is your last name? x
The correct form is
"Ngubani isibongo sakho?"
2. lo = he/she x
lo = this
as in "Lo nguMuziwandile" = This is Muziwandile.
3. Ngi = I
ya = am, go
xolisa = sorry
The -ya- in this example marks present tense. It is different from the verb -ya that means "go"
4. masifunde - let us read
masi + funda
let us to read, study, learn (why the -e?)
= The -e is used at the end of an instruction; that is the imperative of the above form.
5. father = (u)dada x
should be "ubaba"
[In isiXhosa father is "utata".
6. -isiZulu belongs to the Ngoni language cluster of the Southern African Bantu family
-isiXhosa, isiSwazi (Siswati to them, no z sound), others...
Mzanzi = south (as in Mzanzi Africa)
synonym: Ningizimu
Correct: Mzantsi
7. -isiZulu belongs to the Ngoni language cluster of the Southern African Bantu family
-isiXhosa, isiSwazi (Siswati to them, no z sound), others...= isiNdebele
= Nguni not Ngoni.
Noxolo = Mother of Peace
Umfundisi = teacher
synonym: (u)Thisha
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