-na-

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "na"

Chichewa

Alternative forms

  • -da- (commonly used alternative)

Infix

-ná-

  1. 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

Etymology

From -na, a stem of -wa na (“to have”).[1]

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Kenya):(file)

Infix

-na-

  1. positive present tense marker
    wanakula ― they are eating
  2. (in stative verbs) inceptive aspect marker
    wanalala ― they are falling asleep
    Inakuwa baridi. ― It is getting cold.
  3. (in second verb in a series) marker of simultaneity
    Near-synonym: -ki-
    1. (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

  1. ^ Carl Meinhof (1906) Grundzüge einer vergleichenden Grammatik der Bantusprachen, Dietrich Reimer, page 71
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