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Lesson 2Historical spelling

Noun Class II

SUBSTANTIVO CL. II

Rule §6

Class II comprises names of inanimate things (and almost all trees/plants), singular prefix mu-, plural mi- (exception: mundele 'white person', pl. mindele).

Chatelain’s original wording (1889)

A' cl. II pertencem os nomes de entes inanimados (coisas) que têem no sing. o pref. mu—. Excepç.: mundele, o branco pl. mindele. Esta cl. abrange quasi todos os nomes de arvores e plantas (vida vegetativa). Forma o seu pl., mudando o pref. sing. mu— em mi—. Ex.: mukanda pl. mikanda.

The pattern

Class II nouns: singular (pref. mu-) / plural (pref. mi-) pairs

SingularPlural
muxistickmixisticks
mukoloropemikoloropes
mutueheadmitueheads
mukandalettermikandaletters
mulembufingermilembufingers
muengesugar-canemiengesugar-canes
mulundumountainmilundumountains
muniathornminiathorns
mukokococoa-treemikokococoa-trees

nie, com; and, with

Words for this lesson

  • batulacut
  • sonekawrite
  • banagive
  • bandago up
  • tangaread
  • katulatake away
  • bukulabreak
  • sukulawash

Exercises

Translate each sentence, using the pattern and the words above.

  1. 1Sukula o milembu ni mutue.
  2. 2Batulenu o mienge.
  3. 3Bana o mukolo.
  4. 4Tangenu o mikanda.
  5. 5Katula o minia.
  6. 6Bukulenu o mixi.
  7. 7Bandenu mulundu.
  8. 8Soneka mukanda.
  9. 9Bukula o mienge ni muxi.
  10. 10Katulenu o minia ni mukolo.
  11. 11Mulambi, beka mixi.
  12. 12Mukongo, banda mulundu ni batula muxi.
  13. 13Abika, sotenu mikoko.
  14. 14Ahatu, sukulenu o mitue ni milembu.
  15. 15Katulenu o mukoko.

Now meet the words

Browse every dictionary entry in the class this lesson explains.

Class IImu-/mi-

Héli Chatelain, Grammatica Elementar do Kimbundu ou Lingua de Angola (1888-1889), printed page 2. 3 transcription notes.