Luganda nouns, like those in other Bantu languages, are noted for a system of semantically based classing, which affects not only nouns but also their modifiers (adjectives, numbers, demonstratives) and verbs. Just as gender accord is required in many Indo-European languages (e.g., French, Spanish, German, Russian), the modifiers and verbs associated with a given noun must show class agreement with the noun by using certain prefixes. This results in marked alliteration:
This class is also known as the mu-ba class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 1 (singular) and 2 (plural). It is mostly used to refer to people, although there are some words in this class that are inanimate nouns. Class I prefixes may be added to adjective, noun, or verb stems to express the idea that a person has that characteristic, like Misiri (“Egypt”) → Omumisiri (“Egyptian”), or -lwala (“to be sick”) → omulwadde (“sick person”).
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class I nouns.
This class is also known as the mu-mi class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 3 (singular) and 4 (plural). It is used to refer to inanimate nouns almost solely, typically those that could be considered long or cylindrical, although there are some cases where it refers to people, like omukwano (“friend”). Most words related to trees are in this class.
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class II nouns.
This class is also known as the n class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 9 (singular) and 10 (plural). It is used to refer to a wide variety of items, both animate and inanimate, including most recent loanwords and names of animals.
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class III nouns.
This class is also known as the ki-bi class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 7 (singular) and 8 (plural). It is used to refer to inanimate nouns, especially artifacts and tools, and is also used for the impersonal 'it'.
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class IV nouns.
This class is also known as the li-ma class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 5 (singular) and 6 (plural). It is used to refer to a wide variety of items, especially collectives, inanimate objects that are usually found in groups, like eriiso (“eye”). Class V prefixes may be added to noun stems to form augmentatives, like -ntu (“person”) → erintu (“giant, large person”). Some class V nouns may only exist in the plural forms, and these usually refer to liquids or things that can literally or metaphorically cover wide expanses.
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class V nouns.
This class is also known as the ka-bu class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 12 (singular) and 14 (plural). It is usually used to refer to small items. Class VI prefixes may be added to noun stems to form diminutives, like -ana (“child”) → akaana (“baby, small child”), or -bwa (“dog”) → akabwa (“puppy, small dog”).
Some class V nouns may only exist in the plural forms, and these usually refer to qualities or abstractions. Plural class VI prefixes may be added to adjective, noun or verb stems to form abstract nouns or adverbs, like -bi (“bad”) → obubi (“badness”) or -lungi (“good”) → bulungi (“well”), although adverbs made like this usually drop the inital vowel. They are also added to stems to form the names of regions or religions, like -Ganda (“Ganda”) → Buganda (“Buganda”) or Kristu (“Christ”) → Bukristu (“Christianity”), and initial vowels are also normally dropped in such cases.
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class VI nouns.
This class is also known as the lu-n class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 11 (singular) and 10 (plural). It is used primarily to refer to items that can be considered long or vast. Class VII prefixes may be added to noun stems to form names of languages, like -Ganda (“Ganda”) → Oluganda (“Luganda”).
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class VII nouns.
This class is also known as the gu-ga class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 20 (singular) and 22 (plural). It has no nouns of its own, but is rarely used to form augmentatives with a grotesque or pejorative connotation.
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class VIII nouns.
This class is also known as the ku-ma class and comes from the Proto-Bantu classes 15 (singular) and 6 (plural). It only has two nouns of its own, okugulu (“leg”) and okutu (“ear”). It is mainly used to form verbal nouns, equivalent to an infinitive or a gerund in a European language. It is prefixed to the verbal stem, like -soma (“read”) → okusoma (“reading; to read”).
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class IX nouns.
This class is also known as the tu class and comes from the Proto-Bantu class 13. It is a plural-only class that can be used to form diminutives of mass nouns, like -zigo (“butter”) → otuzigo (“a little butter”).
For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see Category:Luganda class X nouns.