English "also" is a small word with a big job. It adds one more thing to what has just been said (I am going, and my brother is going also), it answers "and you?" (Me too), and it joins a new clause to an old one (I want to eat, and I also want to sleep). In Bemba (iciBemba) the word for "also" is na. The Kitwe Online English–Bemba dictionary gives "Also" as Na, and its Bemba–English side gives Na as "And" and "Also".
You already know na. In Lesson 17 it was "with" and "and". This lesson teaches the same little word in its third job: "also, too". Bemba does not keep these jobs apart with different words. The sentence around na tells you which one is meant.
Four things are worth knowing from the start.
First, when "also" belongs to a person, na fuses with the pronoun into one word: nabo (they also, she also, with a respected person), nobe (you also, one person), nomwe (you also, several or polite), nayo (those also). English puts "also" or "too" after the person; Bemba puts it in front, as a prefix.
Second, with a noun, the noun comes first and the fused word follows it, just before the verb: Abana nabo baleya, "the children also are going". We found this order in a Bemba text of this course (Abaice nabo baleeafwa...) and in the Bemba Bible (Judges 6:35, pakuti nabo bamukonke, "so that they also follow him").
Third, kabili adds a whole new clause: "and also, moreover". We found it opening a sentence in Judges 6:35 (Kabili aita na bena Asheri..., "He also called the people of Asher...").
Fourth, we say plainly how far we trust each form. We found nabo, nobe, nomwe and nayo in sources. We did not find nami ("me too") or natwe ("us too") in the sources we opened, so we do not teach them. We explain this in Section D.
What does "also" mean in Bemba?
"Also" is na: Abana nabo baleya (the children also are going), Nobe? (you too?). When the "also" is a whole added clause, Bemba uses kabili: Ndefwaya ukulya, kabili ndefwaya ukusendama (I want to eat, and I also want to sleep).
Vocabulary row for this lesson: number 54 in the Universal Language Learning list, "also", adverb, frequency rank 54, category Grammar, note "addition", usage "additive". We chose na because the Kitwe Online dictionary gives "Also" as Na and gives Nobe as "You too", because the Bemba Bible uses nabo in the sense "they also" (Judges 6:35), and because na is already in the course (Lesson 17).
Key Takeaways:
- na = "also, too" (and "and, with", Lesson 17). The sentence tells you which. - With a pronoun, na fuses with it: nabo (they also), nobe (you also), nomwe (you also, plural or polite), nayo (those also). - With a noun, the order is noun, then nabo, then verb: Abana nabo baleya. - kabili adds a whole new clause: "and also, moreover". - A short reply is enough: Nobe? "And you too?"
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na /na/ — one short syllable with a pure "a", as in Spanish na-. Do not say "nay".
- nabo /na.βo/ — the b between vowels is /β/, the soft sound between English "b" and "v". Say "na-bo" with the lips barely touching. - nobe /no.βe/ — again /β/ for the b. - nomwe /no.mwe/ — mw is one sound: the lips round on the m and slide into we. Do not put a vowel between m and w. - nayo /na.jo/ — the y is /j/, as in English "yes". - kabili /ka.βi.li/ — three syllables, with /β/ for the b.
Other sounds that appear in this lesson:
- sh /ʃ/ as in "shoe": Bushe /βu.ʃe/ (question word), mushi /mu.ʃi/ (village), amenshi /a.me.nʃi/ (water). - ly /lj/ one smooth sound, as in earlier lessons: ukulya /u.ku.lja/ (to eat), Elyo /e.ljo/ (then), lyeni /lje.ni/ (eat!). - nk /ŋk/ and ng /ŋg/: bamukonke /βa.mu.ko.ŋke/ (they follow him), ipenga /i.pe.ŋga/ (horn). - fw /fw/ in ndefwaya /nde.fwa.ja/ (I want), and lw /lw/ in bulwi /βu.lwi/ (battle), one smooth gliding sound each. - c /tʃ/ as "ch" in "church": bacibusa /βa.tʃi.βu.sa/ (friends).
Bemba is a tonal language, but standard spelling does not write the tones, and neither does this lesson. The IPA is a broad transcription of citation forms. It does not mark tone or vowel length.
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Examples 54.1 to 54.15. Line a gives each word with its meaning. Line b adds the pronunciation and the grammar: SM = subject marker (the verb prefix that agrees with the subject), OM = object marker, PRES = present, FUT = future, PERF = perfect, SUBJ = subjunctive (the "so that" mood), INF = infinitive, SEQ = the sequence word elyo (Lesson 52), HON = honorific plural used to show respect (as in bamayo, "mother"), CL = noun class, Q = question word, PL = plural, SG = singular, 2SG = "you" (one person), 2PL = "you" (several, or polite). Examples 54.11 and 54.12 are taken from the Bemba Bible (Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015, as published online); the rest are constructed by us from verified words and patterns. Section D says which forms we applied by analogy.
54.1a Nabo also-they baleya they-are-going
54.1b Nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 baleya /βa.le.ja/ SM2-PRES-go
54.2a Abana children nabo also-they baleya they-are-going
54.2b Abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 baleya /βa.le.ja/ SM2-PRES-go
54.3a Bamayo mother nabo also-she balebomba she-is-working
54.3b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON nabo /na.βo/ also.HON balebomba /βa.le.βo.mba/ SM2.HON-PRES-work
54.4a Nobe you-too uleya you-are-going
54.4b Nobe /no.βe/ also.2SG uleya /u.le.ja/ SM2SG-PRES-go
54.5a Nomwe you-too muleya you-are-going
54.5b Nomwe /no.mwe/ also.2PL muleya /mu.le.ja/ SM2PL-PRES-go
54.6a Abana children balelya they-are-eating bamayo mother nabo also-she balelya she-is-eating
54.6b Abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 balelya /βa.le.lja/ SM2-PRES-eat bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON nabo /na.βo/ also.HON balelya /βa.le.lja/ SM2.HON-PRES-eat
54.7a Lelo today tuleya we-are-going ku to mushi village kabili also tuleya we-are-going ku to munda field
54.7b Lelo /le.lo/ today tuleya /tu.le.ja/ SM1PL-PRES-go ku /ku/ to mushi /mu.ʃi/ village.CL3 kabili /ka.βi.li/ also tuleya /tu.le.ja/ SM1PL-PRES-go ku /ku/ to munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3
54.8a Ndefwaya I-want ukulya to-eat kabili also ndefwaya I-want ukusendama to-sleep
54.8b Ndefwaya /nde.fwa.ja/ SM1SG-PRES-want ukulya /u.ku.lja/ INF-eat kabili /ka.βi.li/ also ndefwaya /nde.fwa.ja/ SM1SG-PRES-want ukusendama /u.ku.se.nda.ma/ INF-sleep
54.9a Mailo tomorrow tukabwela we-will-return ku to mushi village abana children nabo also-they bakabwela they-will-return
54.9b Mailo /mai.lo/ tomorrow tukabwela /tu.ka.βwe.la/ SM1PL-FUT-return ku /ku/ to mushi /mu.ʃi/ village.CL3 abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 bakabwela /βa.ka.βwe.la/ SM2-FUT-return
54.10a Ndeya I-am-going ku to munda field Nobe you-too
54.10b Ndeya /nde.ja/ SM1SG-PRES-go ku /ku/ to munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3 Nobe /no.βe/ also.2SG
54.11a Pakuti so-that nabo also-they bamukonke they-follow-him ku to bulwi battle
54.11b Pakuti /pa.ku.ti/ so.that nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 bamukonke /βa.mu.ko.ŋke/ SM2-OM1-follow.SUBJ ku /ku/ to bulwi /βu.lwi/ battle
54.12a Elyo then nga if aisanga she-finds-it kuti can alonganya she-gathers bacibusa friends bakwe her na and bena people-of mupalamano neighbourhood
54.12b Elyo /e.ljo/ then.SEQ nga /ŋga/ if aisanga /a.i.sa.ŋga/ SM1-OM-find kuti /ku.ti/ can alonganya /a.lo.ŋga.ɲa/ SM1-gather bacibusa /βa.tʃi.βu.sa/ friends.CL2 bakwe /βa.kwe/ her.CL2 na /na/ and bena /βe.na/ people.of mupalamano /mu.pa.la.ma.no/ neighbourhood
54.13a Bamayo mother balepika she-is-cooking ifyakulya food kabili also abana children nabo also-they balefwaya they-want ukulya to-eat
54.13b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON balepika /βa.le.pi.ka/ SM2.HON-PRES-cook ifyakulya /i.fja.ku.lja/ food.CL8 kabili /ka.βi.li/ also abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 balefwaya /βa.le.fwa.ja/ SM2-PRES-want ukulya /u.ku.lja/ INF-eat
54.14a Ilyo when abana children bafika they-arrived ku at mushi village bamayo mother nabo also-she bafika she-arrived
54.14b Ilyo /i.ljo/ when abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 bafika /βa.fi.ka/ SM2-PAST-arrive ku /ku/ at mushi /mu.ʃi/ village.CL3 bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON nabo /na.βo/ also.HON bafika /βa.fi.ka/ SM2.HON-PAST-arrive
54.15a Mailo tomorrow tukaya we-will-go ku to munda field kabili also abana children nabo also-they bakaya they-will-go
54.15b Mailo /mai.lo/ tomorrow tukaya /tu.ka.ja/ SM1PL-FUT-go ku /ku/ to munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3 kabili /ka.βi.li/ also abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 bakaya /βa.ka.ja/ SM2-FUT-go
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54.1 Nabo baleya. → "They also are going."
54.2 Abana nabo baleya. → "The children also are going."
54.3 Bamayo nabo balebomba. → "Mother also is working."
54.4 Nobe uleya? → "Are you going too?"
54.5 Nomwe muleya? → "Are you (all) going too?"
54.6 Abana balelya, bamayo nabo balelya. → "The children are eating, and mother is eating too."
54.7 Lelo tuleya ku mushi, kabili tuleya ku munda. → "Today we are going to the village, and we are also going to the field."
54.8 Ndefwaya ukulya, kabili ndefwaya ukusendama. → "I want to eat, and I also want to sleep."
54.9 Mailo tukabwela ku mushi, abana nabo bakabwela. → "Tomorrow we will return to the village; the children will return too."
54.10 Ndeya ku munda. Nobe? → "I am going to the field. And you too?"
54.11 Pakuti nabo bamukonke ku bulwi. → "So that they too would follow him to the battle." (Judges 6:35)
54.12 Elyo nga aisanga, kuti alonganya bacibusa bakwe na bena mupalamano. → "Then, when she finds it, she can call together her friends and neighbours." (Luke 15:9)
54.13 Bamayo balepika ifyakulya, kabili abana nabo balefwaya ukulya. → "Mother is cooking the food, and the children also want to eat."
54.14 Ilyo abana bafika ku mushi, bamayo nabo bafika. → "When the children arrived at the village, mother arrived too."
54.15 Mailo tukaya ku munda, kabili abana nabo bakaya. → "Tomorrow we will go to the field, and the children will go too."
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54.1 Nabo baleya.
54.2 Abana nabo baleya.
54.3 Bamayo nabo balebomba.
54.4 Nobe uleya?
54.5 Nomwe muleya?
54.6 Abana balelya, bamayo nabo balelya.
54.7 Lelo tuleya ku mushi, kabili tuleya ku munda.
54.8 Ndefwaya ukulya, kabili ndefwaya ukusendama.
54.9 Mailo tukabwela ku mushi, abana nabo bakabwela.
54.10 Ndeya ku munda. Nobe?
54.11 Pakuti nabo bamukonke ku bulwi.
54.12 Elyo nga aisanga, kuti alonganya bacibusa bakwe na bena mupalamano.
54.13 Bamayo balepika ifyakulya, kabili abana nabo balefwaya ukulya.
54.14 Ilyo abana bafika ku mushi, bamayo nabo bafika.
54.15 Mailo tukaya ku munda, kabili abana nabo bakaya.
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These are the grammar rules for na in Bemba:
1. The word. Na is a short word with three jobs: "with" (Lesson 17, Ine naya na bamayo), "and" (joining nouns, as in bacibusa bakwe na bena mupalamano, 54.12) and "also, too" (this lesson). The Kitwe Online dictionary lists "Also" as Na in English–Bemba and "And / Also" as Na in Bemba–English. The reader decides from context which job it is doing.
2. "Also" fused with a pronoun. When the "also" belongs to a person or thing, na joins the pronoun into one word:
- Nabo: they also, she or he also with respect (54.1, 54.2, 54.3). Found in Judges 6:35 (54.11) and in a Bemba text of this course. - Nobe: you also, one person (54.4, 54.10). The Kitwe Online dictionary gives Nobe as "You too". - Nomwe: you also, several people or polite (54.5). It appears in Lesson 47 (nomwe imwe). - Nayo: those also, them also (things of the class of ayo). It appears in Lesson 13 (Ayo nayo nkumbenda, "I would like those too").
These four are the forms we found in sources. Examples 54.4, 54.5 and 54.10 apply nobe and nomwe in the same pattern as nabo; they are constructed, not quoted.
3. What we did not find. We did not find nami ("me too") or natwe ("us too") in the sources we opened, and we do not teach them as certain. The form nankwe appears in earlier lessons of this course with two different glosses ("also" in Lesson 36, "hard" in Lesson 22), and a proverb quoted in Lesson 12 (Tekuli untu mwenda nankwe lyonse) uses it of a travelling companion. We leave it alone. For "you and I" the course already has Iwe na ine (Lesson 9), where na is "and".
4. Where it goes. With a noun, the order is noun, nabo, verb: Abana nabo baleya (54.2), Bamayo nabo balebomba (54.3). The verb keeps its usual subject marker, ba- for the children and for the honorific mother. With a pronoun alone, the fused word comes first: Nabo baleya (54.1), Nobe uleya? (54.4). A bare Nobe? is a complete reply (54.10): "And you too?"
5. kabili: a whole clause added. To say "and also I do this other thing", Bemba puts kabili between the two clauses: Ndefwaya ukulya, kabili ndefwaya ukusendama (54.8), Lelo tuleya ku mushi, kabili tuleya ku munda (54.7). Judges 6:35 opens its second sentence with Kabili aita na bena Asheri... (Section F). Earlier lessons of this course gloss kabili as "and"; the Kitwe Online dictionary lists "Again" as Nakabili, so the word has a sense of "once more" too. We use it here only in the sense "and also".
6. na before a noun. Na can also stand directly before a noun to add it: aita na bena Asheri "he called also the people of Asher" (Judges 6:35), bacibusa bakwe na bena mupalamano "her friends and neighbours" (Luke 15:9, 54.12). In 54.12 English naturally says "and". We glossed mupalamano "neighbourhood" from the sense of the verse and did not find it in a dictionary, so use it with care.
7. "So that they also": pakuti nabo. After pakuti "so that" the verb is in the subjunctive, ending in -e: bamukonke "they follow him" (54.11). The fused nabo sits before it, as in Judges 6:35.
8. na and the infinitive. Where na meets a verb in the infinitive, the two join into no (a pattern seen in Lesson 53, no kulayatontonkanyapo). We mention it so that you are not surprised, and we do not drill it.
Common Mistakes
- Using the English order, "also" after the person. Bemba puts na first: Nobe uleya?, not Uleya nobe?. - Dropping the verb's subject marker after nabo. Abana nabo baleya needs the ba- on the verb. - Using nobe to an elder or a stranger. Use the plural, nomwe, as you did with iseni and lyeni. - Using nabo with a single ordinary person. Nabo goes with ba-, the plural or respectful class (the children, mother). For one ordinary person we did not find the matching form in a source, so we teach no example of it. - Using kabili to join two nouns. For "A and B" with nouns, use na (Lesson 17).
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Frequency and register. Na is among the commonest words of the language, and the fused forms (nabo, nobe, nomwe) are everyday speech. The Bible uses them too (Judges 6:35). What changes with the social setting is the pronoun, not na itself: to an elder or stranger, a Bemba speaker says nomwe, the plural form, not nobe.
Answering with "and you?" In a greeting exchange, a short Nobe? or Nomwe? hands the question back. The course has this in Lesson 46 (Naliposha nayo, "greetings to you too") and in Lesson 47 (Nalenga bwino, nomwe imwe mwalenga bwanji, "I woke up well, and you, how did you wake up?"). The learner can try Ndeya ku munda. Nobe? (54.10) and watch how the reply comes.
Sharing the work. The sentences of this lesson are about people doing things together, the children and mother going, working and eating. We have not studied how often everyday Bemba uses nabo for this, and we do not say how far it holds outside the written texts we opened.
Variety. This lesson follows the written standard used in the dictionary and teaching materials we consulted, and the spelling of the Bemba Bible published as Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa (2015). Bemba is spoken across Zambia's Northern, Luapula, Muchinga and Copperbelt provinces and beyond. We did not find a source that says whether the fused forms differ from region to region, and we do not claim that they do.
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The passage chosen for this section is Judges 6:34 and 6:35 in Bemba (Abapingushi 6:34–35), from the Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa (2015) text published online. It shows Gideon calling the tribes to follow him. The verses use nao, kabili, na and nabo, the words of this lesson. The glosses are ours; the English in F-B is our own rendering, not a quotation. Where a gloss is uncertain we say so in F-D.
F.1a Awe then Umupashi Spirit wakwa of Yawe Lord waishile he-came pali upon Gideoni Gideon nao and-he alisha he-blew ipenga horn pakwita for-calling abena people-of Abiesa Abiezer pakuti so-that bamukonke they-follow-him
F.1b Awe /a.we/ then Umupashi /u.mu.pa.ʃi/ spirit.CL3 wakwa /wa.kwa/ of.CL3 Yawe /ja.we/ Lord waishile /wa.i.ʃi.le/ SM3-come.PERF pali /pa.li/ on Gideoni /gi.de.o.ni/ Gideon nao /na.o/ and.he alisha /a.li.ʃa/ SM1-blow ipenga /i.pe.ŋga/ horn.CL5 pakwita /pa.kwi.ta/ at.INF-call abena /a.βe.na/ people.of Abiesa /a.βi.e.sa/ Abiezer pakuti /pa.ku.ti/ so.that bamukonke /βa.mu.ko.ŋke/ SM2-OM1-follow.SUBJ
F.2a Kabili also aita he-called na and bena people-of Asheri Asher abena people-of Sebuloni Zebulun na and bena people-of Naftali Naphtali pakuti so-that nabo also-they bese they-come mukwafwilisha help ukulwisha to-fight abalwani enemies
F.2b Kabili /ka.βi.li/ also aita /a.i.ta/ SM1-call na /na/ and bena /βe.na/ people.of Asheri /a.ʃe.ri/ Asher abena /a.βe.na/ people.of Sebuloni /se.βu.lo.ni/ Zebulun na /na/ and bena /βe.na/ people.of Naftali /na.fta.li/ Naphtali pakuti /pa.ku.ti/ so.that nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 bese /βe.se/ SM2-come.SUBJ mukwafwilisha /mu.kwa.fwi.li.ʃa/ help ukulwisha /u.ku.lwi.ʃa/ INF-fight abalwani /a.βa.lwa.ni/ enemies.CL2
F.1 Awe Umupashi wakwa Yawe waishile pali Gideoni, nao alisha ipenga pakwita abena Abiesa pakuti bamukonke. → "Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew the horn to call the people of Abiezer so that they would follow him."
F.2 Kabili aita na bena Asheri, abena Sebuloni na bena Naftali, pakuti nabo bese mukwafwilisha ukulwisha abalwani. → "He also called the people of Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too would come to help in fighting the enemies."
F.1 Awe Umupashi wakwa Yawe waishile pali Gideoni, nao alisha ipenga pakwita abena Abiesa pakuti bamukonke.
F.2 Kabili aita na bena Asheri, abena Sebuloni na bena Naftali, pakuti nabo bese mukwafwilisha ukulwisha abalwani.
Look at how the passage is built. The first verse is about one man and one act: the Spirit comes, Gideon blows the horn, and one tribe is called. The second verse widens it. It opens with Kabili, "also, moreover", and names three more tribes, joined by na (Section D 6). Then it ends with pakuti nabo bese...: the new tribes are called "so that they also" come. The word nabo carries the whole idea of the verse: they, like the first tribe, are to join him. Verse 35 in the Bemba Bible also has an earlier sentence about the Manassites (54.11), which uses the same pakuti nabo bamukonke.
nao in F.1 is glossed "and he" from the shape of the word (na + a third-person singular pronoun) and from the English rendering of the verse; we did not find it in a dictionary, so a learner should not build sentences on it. mukwafwilisha is glossed "help" from the sense of the verse; we did not analyse it further. bese is glossed as a subjunctive of -isa (come) from the shape of the word and the sense. ipenga "horn" and pakwita "for calling" are also read from the sense of the verse. We checked the Bemba text itself against the published Bible page in this session; the glosses are ours.
waishile is wa- + -ishile, "he or it came", taken as a past (perfect) form of -isa, "to come" (Lesson 49). The subject is Umupashi, "Spirit"; we did not analyse the wa- further.
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Examples 54.16 to 54.30. A short story of a day, told in the present tense. Bamayo (mother) takes the honorific plural throughout, and bati is "said" in the same respectful form. A speech is introduced with bati. The word of this lesson, nabo or nomwe, marks everyone who does the same thing. The story is constructed by us from verified words.
54.16a Lelo today abana children baleya they-are-going ku to munda field
54.16b Lelo /le.lo/ today abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 baleya /βa.le.ja/ SM2-PRES-go ku /ku/ to munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3
54.17a Bamayo mother nabo also-she baleya she-is-going ku to munda field
54.17b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON nabo /na.βo/ also.HON baleya /βa.le.ja/ SM2.HON-PRES-go ku /ku/ to munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3
54.18a Abana children balebomba they-are-working mu in munda field
54.18b Abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 balebomba /βa.le.βo.mba/ SM2-PRES-work mu /mu/ in munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3
54.19a Bamayo mother nabo also-she balebomba she-is-working mu in munda field
54.19b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON nabo /na.βo/ also.HON balebomba /βa.le.βo.mba/ SM2.HON-PRES-work mu /mu/ in munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3
54.20a Elyo then bamayo mother bati she-says Bushe Q mulefwaya you-want ukulya to-eat
54.20b Elyo /e.ljo/ then.SEQ bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON bati /βa.ti/ SM2.HON-say Bushe /βu.ʃe/ Q mulefwaya /mu.le.fwa.ja/ SM2PL-PRES-want ukulya /u.ku.lja/ INF-eat
54.21a Abana children bati they-say Ee yes tulefwaya we-want ukulya to-eat Nomwe you-too
54.21b Abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 bati /βa.ti/ SM2-say Ee /e.e/ yes tulefwaya /tu.le.fwa.ja/ SM1PL-PRES-want ukulya /u.ku.lja/ INF-eat Nomwe /no.mwe/ also.2PL
54.22a Bamayo mother bati she-says Ee yes ndefwaya I-want ukulya to-eat kabili also ndefwaya I-want amenshi water
54.22b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON bati /βa.ti/ SM2.HON-say Ee /e.e/ yes ndefwaya /nde.fwa.ja/ SM1SG-PRES-want ukulya /u.ku.lja/ INF-eat kabili /ka.βi.li/ also ndefwaya /nde.fwa.ja/ SM1SG-PRES-want amenshi /a.me.nʃi/ water.CL6
54.23a Elyo then abana children baleya they-are-going ku to mushi village
54.23b Elyo /e.ljo/ then.SEQ abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 baleya /βa.le.ja/ SM2-PRES-go ku /ku/ to mushi /mu.ʃi/ village.CL3
54.24a Bamayo mother nabo also-she baleya she-is-going ku to mushi village
54.24b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON nabo /na.βo/ also.HON baleya /βa.le.ja/ SM2.HON-PRES-go ku /ku/ to mushi /mu.ʃi/ village.CL3
54.25a Bamayo mother balepika she-is-cooking ifyakulya food
54.25b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON balepika /βa.le.pi.ka/ SM2.HON-PRES-cook ifyakulya /i.fja.ku.lja/ food.CL8
54.26a Abana children nabo also-they balepika they-are-cooking
54.26b Abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 nabo /na.βo/ also.CL2 balepika /βa.le.pi.ka/ SM2-PRES-cook
54.27a Bamayo mother bati she-says Iseni come! lyeni eat! ifyakulya food
54.27b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON bati /βa.ti/ SM2.HON-say Iseni /i.se.ni/ come.IMP.PL lyeni /lje.ni/ eat.IMP.PL ifyakulya /i.fja.ku.lja/ food.CL8
54.28a Abana children bati they-say Nomwe you-too lyeni eat!
54.28b Abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 bati /βa.ti/ SM2-say Nomwe /no.mwe/ also.2PL lyeni /lje.ni/ eat.IMP.PL
54.29a Elyo then abana children balelya they-are-eating bamayo mother nabo also-she balelya she-is-eating
54.29b Elyo /e.ljo/ then.SEQ abana /a.βa.na/ children.CL2 balelya /βa.le.lja/ SM2-PRES-eat bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON nabo /na.βo/ also.HON balelya /βa.le.lja/ SM2.HON-PRES-eat
54.30a Bamayo mother bati she-says Mailo tomorrow tukabwela we-will-return ku to munda field kabili also tukabomba we-will-work bwino well
54.30b Bamayo /βa.ma.jo/ mother.HON bati /βa.ti/ SM2.HON-say Mailo /mai.lo/ tomorrow tukabwela /tu.ka.βwe.la/ SM1PL-FUT-return ku /ku/ to munda /mu.nda/ field.CL3 kabili /ka.βi.li/ also tukabomba /tu.ka.βo.mba/ SM1PL-FUT-work bwino /βwi.no/ well
54.16 Lelo abana baleya ku munda. → "Today the children are going to the field."
54.17 Bamayo nabo baleya ku munda. → "Mother is going to the field too."
54.18 Abana balebomba mu munda. → "The children are working in the field."
54.19 Bamayo nabo balebomba mu munda. → "Mother is working in the field too."
54.20 Elyo bamayo bati, "Bushe mulefwaya ukulya?" → "Then mother says, 'Do you want to eat?'"
54.21 Abana bati, "Ee, tulefwaya ukulya. Nomwe?" → "The children say, 'Yes, we want to eat. And you?'"
54.22 Bamayo bati, "Ee, ndefwaya ukulya, kabili ndefwaya amenshi." → "Mother says, 'Yes, I want to eat, and I also want water.'"
54.23 Elyo abana baleya ku mushi. → "Then the children are going to the village."
54.24 Bamayo nabo baleya ku mushi. → "Mother is going to the village too."
54.25 Bamayo balepika ifyakulya. → "Mother is cooking the food."
54.26 Abana nabo balepika. → "The children are cooking too."
54.27 Bamayo bati, "Iseni, lyeni ifyakulya." → "Mother says, 'Come, eat the food.'"
54.28 Abana bati, "Nomwe, lyeni." → "The children say, 'You too, eat.'"
54.29 Elyo abana balelya, bamayo nabo balelya. → "Then the children are eating, and mother is eating too."
54.30 Bamayo bati, "Mailo tukabwela ku munda, kabili tukabomba bwino." → "Mother says, 'Tomorrow we will return to the field, and we will also work well.'"
54.16 Lelo abana baleya ku munda.
54.17 Bamayo nabo baleya ku munda.
54.18 Abana balebomba mu munda.
54.19 Bamayo nabo balebomba mu munda.
54.20 Elyo bamayo bati, "Bushe mulefwaya ukulya?"
54.21 Abana bati, "Ee, tulefwaya ukulya. Nomwe?"
54.22 Bamayo bati, "Ee, ndefwaya ukulya, kabili ndefwaya amenshi."
54.23 Elyo abana baleya ku mushi.
54.24 Bamayo nabo baleya ku mushi.
54.25 Bamayo balepika ifyakulya.
54.26 Abana nabo balepika.
54.27 Bamayo bati, "Iseni, lyeni ifyakulya."
54.28 Abana bati, "Nomwe, lyeni."
54.29 Elyo abana balelya, bamayo nabo balelya.
54.30 Bamayo bati, "Mailo tukabwela ku munda, kabili tukabomba bwino."
The story's chain. The story is told in the present: going (54.16, 54.17), working (54.18, 54.19), a question and its answers (54.20, 54.21, 54.22), going to the village (54.23, 54.24), cooking (54.25, 54.26), an invitation to eat (54.27, 54.28), the meal (54.29) and a plan for tomorrow (54.30). Elyo (Lesson 52) marks the new steps (54.20, 54.23, 54.29).
Also in the story. Nabo appears whenever the second person or group does the same as the first: mother goes after the children (54.17, 54.24), works after them (54.19), and eats after them (54.29), and the children cook after her (54.26). Nomwe is what the children say to their mother, in the polite plural (54.21, 54.28): "and you?" and "you too". Kabili adds a second thing for one speaker: ndefwaya ukulya, kabili ndefwaya amenshi (54.22), tukabwela... kabili tukabomba bwino (54.30).
Tense in the story. Present: baleya, balebomba, balelya, balepika, mulefwaya, tulefwaya, ndefwaya (-le-). Future: tukabwela, tukabomba (-ka-). Imperative: iseni, lyeni (plural, polite).
Respect. Bamayo is "mother" with the respectful ba-, and everything that goes with it takes the ba- of class 2: baleya, bati, nabo. The children take the same ba-, and only the nouns tell you who is meant. The children say nomwe to their mother, as they would say iseni or lyeni to her.
Speech. Bati opens a quotation (54.20, 54.21, 54.22, 54.27, 54.28, 54.30). The speaker's words follow.
Word order. Subject, then nabo, then verb: Bamayo nabo balebomba. The time word (lelo, mailo) comes at the start of its clause; kabili comes between the clauses it joins.
Useful vocabulary: na (also, with, and), nabo (they also), nobe (you also), nomwe (you also, plural or polite), kabili (also, moreover), ukuya (to go), ukubomba (to work), ukulya (to eat), ukupika (to cook), ukufwaya (to want), amenshi (water).
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- na /na/: short; the fused forms nabo /na.βo/, nobe /no.βe/, nomwe /no.mwe/, nayo /na.jo/ are each written as one word. - Digraphs: sh /ʃ/, ng /ŋg/, nk /ŋk/, nsh /nʃ/, c /tʃ/, ny /ɲ/, mw /mw/, fw /fw/, lw /lw/. The letter b is /β/ except after m. - Capitals: Elyo and Bushe at the start of a sentence. In the Bible text, the names Gideoni, Abiesa, Asheri, Sebuloni and Naftali and the word Yawe (the Lord) are capitalized. - The imperative plural ends in -eni (lyeni, iseni). - Spelling of the Bible text: we kept the spelling of Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa (2015) as it appears online (Umupashi, waishile, mukwafwilisha, abalwani).
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