1. Present indicative. The root does not appear at all, and the pronouns subjective designate "I am," "He is," &c., &c. It may be used with nouns, pronouns, or adjectives and adverbs, thus: -
EXAMPLES.
Ngingumuntu, I am a person.
Unguye, he is he.
In the above cases the -ng is the copula or verb substantive used with nouns and pronoun
Used with adjectives as shown below: -
Ngifile, I am dead.
Ngimnyama, I am black.
Used with adverbs:
Ngiphezulu, I am high up.
Ngikhona, I am present.
NOTE: - By using the verb "to be" in this way many verbs may be formed.
2. Perfect indicative. Used in forming compound tenses of verb.
Singular
|
Plural
| |
1st person
|
Ngibe (I be)
|
Sibe (we be, she be, he be, it be etc)
|
2nd person
|
Ube (you be, it be)
|
Nibe (you be)
|
3rd person
|
Wabe, ube
|
Babe (they be)
|
NOTE. —Waba may be heard; it is probably a past tense form.
2. Ukuya, to go. The present and past (or perfect) tenses are used as auxiliaries.
1ST PRESENT
| ||
Singular
|
Plural
| |
1st Person
|
Ngiya
|
Siya
|
2nd Person
|
Uya
|
Niya
|
3rd Person
|
Waya (uya)
|
Baya
|
2ND PRESENT
| ||
1st Person
|
Ngaye
|
Saye
|
2nd Person
|
Waye
|
Naye
|
3rd Person
|
Waye
|
Baye
|
NOTE: - Waye is frequently supplanted in speech by wae.
3. Ukuza, to come. It is used in constructing one of the forms- of the future indicative and has the force of an imminent or immediate tense. "I am about to," &c.
4. The auxiliary ukuba, to be, is used with the preposition na, with, to construct a verb "to have," and this verb is used to form adjectives.
EXAMPLES.
Ngina-, I have; Nginembuzi, I have a goat.
Una, you have; Unomusa, you have mercy— you are merciful.
In like manner other tenses may be used.
5. Ng- the substantive verb "it is" is used as the copula with - nouns and pronouns. It is also used after passive, or subjective verbs, active voice, with the agent of the verb, but it may be omitted in the latter case
TABLE OF COPULA WITH NOUNS AND PRONOUN'S.
Person
|
Class
|
COPULA WITH NOUN
|
COPULA WITH PRONOUN
| |
Singular
|
Plural
| |||
I
|
Ngimi It is I
|
Ngithi. It is we,
| ||
II
|
Nguwe It is you
|
Ngilina. It is you
| ||
III
|
1
|
Ngumuntu. It is a person.
|
Nguye
|
It is he.
|
Ngabantu. It is people.
|
Ngabo
|
It is it;
It is they
| ||
2.
|
Ngumuthi. It is a tree.
|
Ngiwo
| ||
Ngimithi. It is trees.
|
Ngiyo
| |||
3.
|
Ngimbuzi. It is a goat.
|
Ngiyo
| ||
Ngizimbuzi. It is goats.
|
Ngizo
| |||
4.
|
Ngisihlangu. It is a shield.
|
Ngiso
| ||
Ngivihlangu. It is shields
|
Ngivo (-vo probably tumbuka)
| |||
5.
|
Ngilizwi. It is a word.
|
Ngilo
| ||
Ngamazwi. It is words
|
Ngiwo or ngawo
| |||
6.
|
Nguluthi. It is a rod.
|
Ngilo
| ||
Ngizinti. It is rods
|
Ngizo
| |||
7.
|
Ngukudla, It is food.
|
NOTE 1: - The copula ng- is to be noted as differing from the preposition nga which denotes the instrument, while ng- denotes the agent.
EXAMPLES.
Wabulawa ngumuthi, he was killed by a tree.
Watshibulala ngomuthi, he killed it with a tree.
NOTE 2: - If the copula is used in such a sentence as, It is he who came, nguye owabuya is the correct form; but, He is the person who came, the personal pronoun subjective is required before the copula as, Ungumuntu owabuya or unguye umuntu owabuya.
EXAMPLES.
Ungubani? Who are you?
Lingilizwi, it is a voice.
Singukudla, it (the thing) is food. But the personal pronoun is frequently omitted.
NOTE 3. -The negative of the above is formed by prefixing asi, it is not. = asinguye asiye} It is not he.
African women
Click here to go to Chapter 11: Ngoni Auxiliary Particles.
Singukudla, it (the thing) is food. But the personal pronoun is frequently omitted.
NOTE 3. -The negative of the above is formed by prefixing asi, it is not. = asinguye asiye} It is not he.

African women
Click here to go to Chapter 11: Ngoni Auxiliary Particles.
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