Noun classes

Question 1

1. M(w)-WA class

Answer 1

Human beings

Question 2

M(w)-MI class

Answer 2

Living things but not human (trees, plants, etc.). Some words express
the idea of something that spreads or extends. Nouns that derive from verbs. Some borrowed words

Question 3

Ø JI-MA class

Answer 3

Some stems have no prefix (Ø) in the singular. Others begin with ji or j in the singular.

Parts of the body that go in pairs or in sets; constituent parts of trees, bushes, etc.; phenomena which occur in quantities; nouns describing actions, etc., derived from verbs, miscellaneous
words some of foreign origin; names of foreign titles and ranks; some relationship terms; words
expressing an augmentive idea

Question 4

KI - VI class

Answer 4

In this class nouns begin with ki(/ch) in the singular and vi(/vy) in the plural.

This is often referred to as
the ‘Thing Class’, because many of the nouns are names of inanimate things

Question 5

N Class

Answer 5

There are relatively few nouns which have n- as a classifying prefix. One of the reasons for this is that many of the nouns in this class are of foreign origin (Arabic, English, etc.), and, being loan words, do not come under the rules governing phonetic change in Swahili.

The names of common objects, animals, and family-member names are found in this class.
The plural forms of these nouns are the same as the singular forms.

Question 6

U Classes

Answer 6

There are two U Classes in Swahili: words which admit no singular or plural concept, such as abstract
nouns denoting qualities or states, the names of some countries, and words that refer to concrete
objects, with further implication of length or mass.

Question 7

KU Class

Answer 7

The Infinitive form of the verb ) in Swahili can also form a
class of nouns known as the KU Class. These verbal nouns cannot be thought of in terms of singular
and plural. They express the act of doing, of becoming or the state of being, and correspond to both
Infinitive and Gerund in English. E.g.:
Infinitive form: To sing is pleasant.
Gerund form: Singing is pleasant.
He finished singing.

Question 8

Mahali (place) Class

Answer 8

There is only one word belonging to this class, viz: mahali, place.
The prefixes are: ku- “indefinite place, direction.”
pa- “definite place, position.”
mu- “area, ‘alongness’, ‘withinness’.”