A Linguistics Workbook, 4th Edition

Name

Section

4.78 Morphosyntax 2: Swahili

As was true of the Telugu words in exercise 4.17, each of the following words in

Swahili (a language of the Niger-Congo family spoken in Africa) is translated into

English by an entire sentence. Each word is complex, that is, composed of several

morphemes. Analyze the forms by identifying the morphemes occurring in each

word, and answer the questions that follow.

Swahili form English gloss

l. aliwaandika

2. ninakujua


3. anasoma


4. ulituuliza
   5, tulikuona


5. anamjua


6. mtasoma
   8. walimpiga
   9. umeandika


7. mlimpiga


8. anakujua


9. mtaniona
   1 3. nirnembusu


10. walisoma
    1 5. nitawabusu
    1 6. tumewaandika


11. utanibusu
    1 8. utatupiga
    1 9. wamewauliza


12. tumewauliza

"Helshe wrote you (pl.)"

"I know you (sg.)"

"Helshe reads"

"You (sg.) asked us"

"We saw you (sg.)"

"Helshe knows himlher"

"You (pl.) will read"

"They hit himlher" (past)

"You (sg.) have just written"

"You (pl.) hit him/herW (past)

"Helshe knows you (sg.)"

"You (pl.) will see me"

"I have just kissed himlher"

"They read" (past)

"I will kiss you (pl.)"

"We have just written you (pl.)"

"You (sg.) will kiss me"

"You (sg.) will hit us"

"They have just asked them"

"We have just asked them"