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Swahili Li-Ya Noun Class

This post is part of a series on Swahili noun classes. For an overview, see this post. To learn about each noun class in depth, check out these posts: The A-Wa Class, the Ki-Vi Class, the Li-Ya Class, the U-I Class, the I-I Class, the U-Zi Class, the I-Zi Class, the Ya-Ya Class, the Ku-Ku Class, the PaKuMu-PoKoMo Class.

Overview of the Swahili Li-Ya Noun Class

The Li-Ya noun class includes nouns with a few different singular/plural prefix pairs: ji-ma-, ji-me-, je-ma-, and ∅-ma-, where ∅ means “zero” or no prefix. This noun class includes things that are manufactured or built, places, as well as certain body parts.

  • jina, majina (name, names)
  • jiko, majiko (stove, stoves)
  • jino, meno (tooth, teeth)
  • jiko, meko (fireplace, fireplaces)
  • jengo, majengo (building, buildings)
  • jembe, majembe (hoe, hoes)
  • dawati, madawati (desk, desks)
  • soko, masoko (market, markets)
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Agreement Markers of the Swahili Li-Ya Noun Class

adjectivepossessivesubjectobjectdemonstrativesrelatives
–∅ /ma-l-/y-li-/ya-  li-/ya-hili, haya
hilo, hayo
lile, yale		lo-/yo-

Adjective Agreement in the Swahili Li-Ya Noun Class

The adjective agreement prefixes for the Li-Ya class are ∅- in the singular and ma– in the plural.  However, notice that ji- appears on –pya (new), because otherwise it would only have one syllable; this is a slight irregularity, but since –pya (new) is a common adjective, we’ll include it as an example.

  • gari zee, magari mazee (an old car, old cars)
  • jino kubwa, meno makubwa (a big tooth, big teeth)
  • jiko jipya, majiko mapya (a new stove, new stoves)
  • jiko zuri, jiko mazuri (a good stove, good stoves)

Possessive Agreement in the Swahili Li-Ya Noun Class

The possessive prefix for the Li-Ya class is l-,  in  singular and y-  in the plural.

  • darasa langu, madarasa yangu (my class, my classes)
  • dawati letu, madawati yetu (our desk, our desks)
  • jembe lako, majembe yako (your hoe, your hoes)

Verbal Subject Agreement in the Swahili Li-Ya Noun Class

The verbal subject agreement prefixes for the Li-Ya class are the same as its name, li- in the singular and ya– in the plural.

  • Jino linauma.
    The tooth is hurting.
  • Dawati limevunjika.
    The desk is broken.
  • Jedwali limechorwa.
    The table has been drawn.
  • Soko limetengenezwa.
    The market has been repaired.

Locatives

The prefixes li-/ya– are used on the locatives –ko, –po, and –mo.

  • Dawati liko wapi? Dawati lipo darasani.
    Where is the desk? The  desk is in the classroom.
  • Magari yako wapi? Magari yako kituoni.
    Where are the cars? The cars are at the station.

Object Infixes

The object infixes for the Li-Ya class are li- in the singular, and ya– in the plural.

  • Jiwe? Ninaliona.
    The stone? I see it.
  • Madaraja? Ninayaona.
    The bridges? I see them.

Demonstratives used with the Swahili Li-Ya Noun Class

The demonstratives for the Li-Ya class are hili (this), haya (these), hilo (that), hayo (those), lile (that over there), yale (those over there).

  • gitaa hili (this guitar)
  • madaftari haya (these notebooks)
  • kabati lile (that cupboard)
  • makabati yale (those cupboards)
  • magari hayo (that car)

Relatives

The relative agreement infixes for the Li-Ya noun class are lo– in the singular and yo- in the plural. They can appear as infixes in the verb of the  clause (lililopotea) or as suffixes on amba (ambalo).

  • gari lililopotea…/ gari ambalo lilipotea… (the car that was lost…)
  • madaftari yaliyoraruka…/ madaftari ambayo yaliraruka… (the notebooks that were torn…)
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