Clarisse Nsòòlakajilu|Grammar, Tùlaasà|Language Study

[Nsòòlakajilu] Reciprocative forms

–angana

This reciprocative suffix expresses a repeated action or an action that takes place between two people or objects inducing a mutual effect.

Exemples :
· kudya manger (to eat) → kudyangana s’entre-manger (to eat each other)
· kukuma battre (to beat, hit) → kukumangana se battre l’un et l’autre (to fight each other)
· kupenda insulter (to insult) → kupendangana s’insulter l’un et l’autre (to insult each other)
· kutapa blesser (to hurt) → kutapangana se blesser l’un et l’autre (to hurt each other)
· kutuma envoyer (to send) → kutumangana s’envoyer l’un et l’autre (to send each other)

Masque Luba / Cifwebe
Masque Luba / Cifwebe
Clarisse Nsòòlakajilu|Grammar, Tùlaasà|Language Study

[Grammar] Causative Forms

The causative form of a verb is created by placing one of the following infixes:

-ish, -esh, -ij, -ej
It indicates the subject helps realizing the action depicted in the verb, allows it or creates the occasion for it to happen.

Examples :

  • kubala (lire, to read) → kubadisha (faire lire, to make s.o. read)
  • kuja (danser, to dance) → kujiija (faire danser , to make s.o./sth dance)
  • kumona (voir, to see) → kumwesha (faire voir, montrer, to make s.o./sth see, to show)
  • kumvwa (écouter, to listen) → kumvwija (faire écouter, to make s.o./sth listen)
  • kwakula (parler, to talk) → kwakwisha (faire parler, to make s.o./sth talk)
  • kwenza (faire, to do) → kwenzeja (faire faire, to make s.o./sth do)
  • kwimba (chanter, to sing) → kwimbisha (faire chanter, to make s.o./sth sing)

source: CRIC

Luba Traditional Bed
Luba Traditional Bed
Clarisse Nsòòlakajilu|Grammar, Tùlaasà|Language Study

[Grammar] Stressed and Possessive Pronouns

In Cilubà, one of the few points you need to understand and master, it’s the stressed and possessive pronouns.

We’re already seen the personal pronouns:

Cilubà Français English
n-/nyi je I
u- tu you
ù- il, elle he, she
tu- nous we
nu- vous you
ba- ils, elles they

Here are the corresponding possessive pronouns. They are also used as possessive adjectives:

Cilubà Français English
wanyì mon,  mien my, mine
webà ton, tien your(s)
wendà son, sien his, her(s)
wetù notre, nôtre our(s)
wenù votre, vôtre your(s)
wabù leur their(s)

Exemples: mulongeshi wanyi, Taatu weba, mulunda wenda, etc…

The corresponding stressed pronouns go as follows:

Cilubà Français English
mêma moi me
wêwa toi you
yêya lui, elle he, she
twêtu nous us
nwênu vous you
bôbu eux, elles them

Mask

Why is it important to know them? It’s because they are used in many expressions.

Cilubà Français English
naanyì avec moi with me
neebà avec toi with you
nendà avec lui, elle with him, her
neetù avec nous with us
neenù avec vous with you
naabù avec eux, elles with them
Cilubà Français English
bwànyì pour moi for me
bwèbà pour toi for you
bwèndà pour lui, elle for him, her
bwètù pour nous for us
bwènù pour vous for you
bwàbù pour eux, elles for them

You can even mix them:

Cilubà Français English
mêma pàànyì moi aussi me too
wêba pèèbà toi aussi you too
yêya pèndà lui, elle aussi him, her too
twêtu pèètù nous aussi us too
nwênu pèènù vous aussi you too
bôbu pààbù eux, elles aussi them too
Cilubà Français English
(mêma) nkàyaanyì moi seul(e) on my own
(wêwa) nkàyeebà toi seul(e) on your own
(yêya) nkàyendà lui, elle seul(e) on his, her own
(twêtu) nkàyeetù nous seul(e)s on our own
(nwênu) nkàyeenù vous seul(e)s on your own
(bôbu) nkàyaabù ils, elles seul(e)s on their own

Used prefixes:

WÀ- = de / belonging to
NE- = avec / with
BWÀ- = pour / for
PÀ- = aussi / too
NKÀÀYÀ- = seul / only or alone

Exemple: mêma pàànyì ndi mvwa nzala / moi aussi j’ai faim / I’m hungry too

Note that these are only the pronouns regarding people. There are also a whole range of pronouns that are used for objects. The subject is vast enough to post several articles about it. So keep coming back for more Cilubà classes…