← Isambilisho lya Chisungu ku Bashimika ChiBemba
"Not" is one of the most frequent words in English. It is an adverb: a small word that changes the meaning of the word beside it. "Not" makes a sentence negative. It says that something is not true, not done, not so.
- I am not a teacher. — Nshili kafundisha. - He is not here. — Talimo muno. - I do not know. — Nshishibe.
Look at the Bemba. Where English uses a separate word, "not", Bemba puts the "not" inside the verb: nshi- ("I do not"), ta- ("he, she, it, you, they do not"), and in a command mwi- or wi- ("do not"). So Nshishibe is one word in Bemba and three in English: "I do not know" (Lesson 15). A Bemba speaker who forgets this says "I not know", and it is the most common mistake with this word.
English puts "not" in one of two places:
- After "be": am not, is not, are not, was not, were not. "He is not here." "I am not a teacher." - After a helping verb: do not, does not, did not (Lesson 15), cannot, will not, must not, have not. "I do not know." "They have not seen."
"Not" never stands before the verb ("I not know") and never at the end of the sentence.
In speech and in informal writing, English joins "not" to the verb with an apostrophe: isn't, aren't, don't, doesn't, didn't, can't, won't. The apostrophe takes the place of the letter "o" of "not".
What does "not" mean in Bemba? In a verb, the prefix ta- (tabeshibe, "they do not know") or nshi- (nshishibe, "I do not know"); for "is not", te before a noun (uyu te Yesu, "this is not Jesus", Lesson 19) or tali, tauli, nshili, tabuli, which are "is not", "you are not", "I am not", "it is not"; for a command, mwi- or wi- with -la- (mwitiina, "do not be afraid"; wilaiba, "do not steal"). The Bemba word iyoo and the word awe are "no".
Key Takeaways:
- "Not" makes a sentence negative. Bemba puts it inside the verb (nshi-, ta-); English says it as a separate word: "I do not know" = Nshishibe. - With "be" (am, is, are, was, were), "not" comes straight after the verb: "He is not here." With all other verbs use do not, does not, did not: "I do not have money." - Commands: "Do not" + the plain verb: "Do not steal." "Do not be afraid." Bemba wi-/mwi-. - Contractions are common in speech: isn't, aren't, don't, doesn't, didn't, can't, won't. "I'm not", never "I amn't". - "Not" and "no" are different. "No" is the answer (Awe, iyoo); "not" goes with a word. English does not put a second "no" at the end of the sentence, as Bemba puts iyoo.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
not — /nɒt/ (British English); /nɑːt/ (American English)
isn't /ˈɪznt/; aren't /ɑːnt/; wasn't /ˈwɒznt/; don't /dəʊnt/; doesn't /ˈdʌznt/; didn't /ˈdɪdnt/; can't /kɑːnt/ (British), /kænt/ (American); won't /wəʊnt/; haven't /ˈhævnt/; cannot /ˈkænɒt/
The first sound, /n/, is the Bemba n of nomba. The vowel /ɒ/ is the same as the vowel of "on" (Lesson 18): short, with the mouth open and the lips a little round. It is not a long "oo" or "oh": /nɒt/, not "noot" and not "note" /nəʊt/.
The last sound, /t/, closes the word. Bemba words end in a vowel, so learners often say "nota" or "noti". English stops on the /t/: /nɒt/. At the end of a word the /t/ is often not released at all; the mouth only closes.
In the contractions the vowel before the n is weak or missing: "isn't" has /z/ and then /nt/, with no vowel in between: /ˈɪznt/, not "izinti". "Don't" ends in two consonants, /nt/. Say them together and close the word: /dəʊnt/, not "donuti".
"Not" is usually not stressed: "He is not here" /hi ɪz nɒt ˈhɪə/. But "not" is stressed when we want to contradict or be strong: "I do NOT know" /aɪ duː ˈnɒt nəʊ/, "It is NOT good."
In fast speech "do not" is almost always "don't", and "cannot" is "can't". After "can" the stress shows the meaning: "I can come" /aɪ kən ˈkʌm/ (weak "can"), but "I can't come" /aɪ ˈkɑːnt ˈkʌm/ (strong, long vowel).
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
20.1 It (ci-) is not (ta-) good -weme (Taciweme)
20.2 He (a-) is not (ta-) here -li-mo muno (Talimo muno)
20.3 I (n-) do not (nshi-) know -ishibe (Nshishibe)
20.4 Do not (mwi-) be afraid -tiina (Mwitiina)
20.5 I am not nshili a teacher kafundisha
20.6 I (n-) do not (nshi-) have -kwete money indalama
20.7 Do not (wi-la-) kill -ipaya (Wilaipaya) Do not (wi-la-) steal -iba (Wilaiba)
20.8 The birds ifyuni do not (ta-fi-) plant -tanda and (no word) do not (ta-fi-) reap -seepa
20.9 The flowers amaluba do not (ta-ya-) work -bomba
20.10 I ine am not nshili the Christ Kristu
20.11 My yandi hour inshita has not yet (ta-i-la-) come -fikila (tailafikila)
20.12 My bwandi kingdom ubufumu is not tabuli of bwa this pano world calo ("here on the land")
20.13 Are bushe you iwe not tauli one umo of pa the disciples basambi of ba that ulya man muntu
20.14 A person umuntu does not (ta-) have -kwata only -fye life umweo in mu eating ukulya food icakulya but lelo by na every lyonse word ishiwi that ilyo God Lesa says asosa
20.15 Blessed ala abashuka are ni those abo people bantu who abasumina believe nelyo even though they (ba-shi-) have not seen -mwene
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
20.1 It is not good. Taciweme. (adapted from Ukutendeka 2:18, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.2 He is not here. Talimo muno. (adapted from Mateo 28:6, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.3 I do not know. Nshishibe. (Yoani 9:12, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.4 Do not be afraid! Mwitiina! (adapted from Mateo 28:5, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.5 I am not a teacher. Nshili kafundisha.
20.6 I do not have money. Nshikwete indalama.
20.7 Do not kill. Do not steal. Wilaipaya. Wilaiba. (Ukufuma 20:13, 15, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.8 The birds do not plant and do not reap. Ifyuni tafitanda, tafiseepa. (adapted from Mateo 6:26, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.9 The flowers do not work. Amaluba tayabomba. (adapted from Mateo 6:28, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.10 I am not the Christ. Ine nshili Kristu. (Yoani 1:20, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.11 My hour has not yet come. Inshita yandi tailafikila. (Yoani 2:4, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.12 My kingdom is not of this world. Ubufumu bwandi tabuli bwa pano calo. (Yoani 18:36, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.13 Are you not one of that man's disciples? Bushe iwe tauli umo pa basambi ba ulya muntu? (Yoani 18:17, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.14 A person does not live only by eating food, but by every word that God speaks. Umuntu takwatafye umweo mukulya icakulya, lelo na kwishiwi lyonse ilyo Lesa asosa. (Mateo 4:4, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
20.15 Blessed are those people who believe even though they have not seen. Ala abashuka ni abo bantu abasumina nelyo bashimwene. (Yoani 20:29, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015; the second sentence of the verse)
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
20.1 It is not good.
20.2 He is not here.
20.3 I do not know.
20.4 Do not be afraid!
20.5 I am not a teacher.
20.6 I do not have money.
20.7 Do not kill. Do not steal.
20.8 The birds do not plant and do not reap.
20.9 The flowers do not work.
20.10 I am not the Christ.
20.11 My hour has not yet come.
20.12 My kingdom is not of this world.
20.13 Are you not one of that man's disciples?
20.14 A person does not live only by eating food, but by every word that God speaks.
20.15 Blessed are those people who believe even though they have not seen.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the grammar rules for "not" in English:
1. "Not" is a separate word. Bemba puts the negative inside the verb. English writes it after the first verb of the sentence:
- Nshishibe — I do not know (20.3) - Nshikwete indalama — I do not have money (20.6) - Tafitanda — they (the birds) do not plant (20.8) - Tayabomba — they (the flowers) do not work (20.9) - Taciweme — it is not good (20.1)
The Bemba negative has a different prefix for each person: nshi- for "I", ta- + the person for the others (tabeshibe "they do not know", tawishibe "you do not know", tamufwaya "you, all of you, do not want", Yoani 5:40). English "not" does not change for any person.
2. "Not" after "be". With am, is, are, was, were, "not" comes straight after the verb, and there is no "do":
- I am not a teacher (20.5). — Nshili kafundisha. - I am not the Christ (20.10). — Ine nshili Kristu. - Are you not one of that man's disciples? (20.13) — Bushe iwe tauli umo pa basambi ba ulya muntu? - My kingdom is not of this world (20.12). — Ubufumu bwandi tabuli bwa pano calo.
The Bemba "is not" changes with the person and the noun class: nshili (I am not), tauli (you are not), tali (he, she is not), tabuli (it, class bu-, is not). The forms for "we" and "they" follow the same rule: tatuli (we are not), tabali (they are not). English changes only the verb: I am not, you are not, he is not, we are not, they are not.
3. "Not" after other verbs: do not, does not, did not. Bemba has no helping verb, but English needs one (Lesson 15):
- I do not know (20.3); the birds do not plant (20.8); a person does not live (20.14). - With he, she, it (and a singular noun): does not. "A person does not live only by bread." Not "a person do not live". - The past, for every person: did not. "He did not come." - After "do not", "does not" and "did not" the verb is plain, with no -s and no -ed: "She does not know", not "She does not knows".
4. Commands: "Do not" + verb. A negative command in English is "Do not" + the plain verb, for one person or for many, for a child or for a chief:
- Do not be afraid! (20.4) — Mwitiina! (to many people: mwi-) - Do not kill. Do not steal. (20.7) — Wilaipaya. Wilaiba. (to one person: wi-la-)
Bemba has two forms: wi- for one person, mwi- for more than one (and for respect). English has one. In speech "Don't…" is used: "Don't worry!" "Don't be afraid!" Notice "be" in "Do not be afraid": "afraid" is an adjective, and a command with an adjective needs "be".
5. "Not" with "have" and a past participle. "Have not" and "has not" go before the past participle (the form of the verb used after "have"): "They have not seen" (20.15), "My hour has not yet come" (20.11). Bemba -shi- (bashimwene, "they have not seen") and -la- (tailafikila, "it has not yet arrived") are inside the verb.
"Have" as possession is different: "I do not have money" (20.6). In British English you also hear "I haven't any money" and "I have no money". The learner should use "do not have".
6. "Not yet". English puts "yet" with "not" at the end or after "not": "My hour has not yet come" (20.11), "My hour has not come yet." Bemba -la- is in the verb: tailafikila. "Not yet" alone is an answer: "Is the food ready?" — "Not yet."
7. "No" and "not". "No" is the answer to a question; "not" goes with a word in the sentence.
- "Are you Elijah?" — "No, I am not." — "Awe, ine tene." (Yoani 1:21: te with ne, "I am not") - "Are you not one of his disciples?" — "No, I am not." (Yoani 18:17: Awe, iyoo!)
English short answers repeat the verb: "No, I am not." "No, I do not." "No, I don't." Not just "No, not" and not "I not".
Bemba often puts iyoo ("no") at the end of a negative sentence to make it strong: Mateo 5:17: "Mwilatila ine naisa kukonaula Amafunde yakwa Mose naya bakasesema, awe iyoo", and the verse Yoani 18:36 also ends with iyoo. English does not add a second "no". The weight is given by the voice: "My kingdom is NOT of this world."
8. "Not any" and "no". After "not" English usually says "any" for a thing and "anyone" for a person: "I do not have any money" = "I have no money" = Nshikwete indalama. Two negatives do not stand together in careful English: "I don't have no money" is wrong. The right sentence is "I don't have any money".
9. "Not only … but". Bemba -fye is "only" (takwatafye, 20.14), and lelo is "but". English: "A person does not live only by bread, but by every word." "Not … or" and "not … nor": "The birds do not plant and do not reap" (20.8). Bemba has nangu or nelyo for "or, nor": "Tayabomba nangu ukupikula insalu" (Mateo 6:28), "They do not work, nor spin cloth". In English the normal form is "They do not work or spin" or, more formally, "neither … nor".
10. "Cannot". "Can" + "not" is written as one word, "cannot", or "can't" in speech. Bemba says teti ("it is not possible"): "A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden" (Lesson 18, 18.10, teti ukaane ukumoneka). "Will not" is "won't", not "willn't". "Shall not", "must not" and "should not" are "shan't", "mustn't", "shouldn't".
11. Contractions. In speech and informal writing, English joins the verb and "not":
- is not — isn't; are not — aren't; was not — wasn't; were not — weren't - do not — don't; does not — doesn't; did not — didn't - have not — haven't; has not — hasn't - cannot — can't; will not — won't
Say "I'm not", not "I amn't". The apostrophe takes the place of the letter o. In formal writing, such as a letter to a school, write the full form: "do not", "cannot".
12. Position. "Not" goes after the first helping verb or after "be", before the main verb or the word that follows. It does not go before the subject and does not go at the end:
- "He is not here." — not "He not is here", not "He is here not". - "I do not know." — not "I know not" (this is old English, Section E and Section F).
Common Mistakes:
- "I not know." / "I no know." Correct: I do not know. / I don't know. - "He not here." Correct: He is not here. Bemba has no word for "is" in talimo; English must say "is". - "I am not know." Correct: I do not know. "Am not" is for "be"; "do not" is for other verbs. - "He do not know." Correct: He does not know. - "She does not knows." Correct: She does not know. - "Do not to steal." Correct: Do not steal. After "do not" there is no "to". - "Not steal!" Correct: Do not steal! - "I don't have no money." Correct: I don't have any money. / I have no money. - "I do not know, no." / "No, I do not know no." Correct: No, I do not know. English does not close a sentence with a second "no". - "Don't afraid!" Correct: Don't be afraid! - "I amn't a teacher." Correct: I'm not a teacher. / I am not a teacher. - "Noto" for "not", "donuti" for "don't". Correct: /nɒt/, /dəʊnt/. No vowel after the last t.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
"Not" is among the most frequent words of English. It is heard in nearly every conversation: "I don't know", "It isn't far", "Not now", "Don't worry".
Speech and writing. In speech people nearly always use the contraction: "I don't know", "She isn't here", "We can't come". The full "do not", "cannot" is heard when a person is serious, firm, or reading aloud: "You must not do this." In a letter, a notice or an examination answer, write the full form. A sign says "Do not enter" or "No entry", rarely "Don't enter".
Being polite. A plain "No." can sound hard in English. People soften it with "not": "I'm afraid not." "Not today, thank you." "I don't think so." "Not really." For "Thank you", the answer "Not at all" means "It is no trouble". To the question "How are you?", "Not bad" means "quite well".
Bemba iyoo and English "not". When Bemba says Awe, iyoo, English says "No" and then repeats the verb: "No, I am not." "No, I don't." A learner should not stop at "No." (it can sound sharp); the short answer with "not" is more courteous.
The old English of the Bible. The King James Version (1611) often puts "not" after the verb, and does not use "do": "Fear not", "I know not", "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 20:15), "they sow not, neither do they reap" (Matthew 6:26), "they toil not, neither do they spin" (Matthew 6:28). Modern English says "Do not fear", "I do not know", "You shall not steal", "They do not plant or reap". The Bemba Bible has no such difference: Wilaiba, Tafitanda.
The Ten Commandments in English are mostly "You shall not…" (King James: "Thou shalt not…"): Exodus 20:13, "Thou shalt not kill"; 20:14, "Thou shalt not commit adultery"; 20:15, "Thou shalt not steal"; 20:16, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Bemba says Wilaipaya, Wilacita bucende, Wilaiba, Wilapeela bunte bwabufi pa mubiyo (Ukufuma 20:13–16). Today English also says "Do not kill" and "Do not steal".
Common expressions with "not":
- not at all — "Thank you." "Not at all." - not yet — "Have you eaten?" "Not yet." - not really — a soft "no": "Do you like fish?" "Not really." - not bad — quite good: "How was the food?" "Not bad." - Not now. — Wait; later. - not only … but also — "He is not only my teacher, but also my friend."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Matthew 28:5–6, from the morning of the resurrection: the women come to the tomb, and the angel speaks to them. English: King James Version (1611). Bemba: Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa (2015), Mateo 28:5–6.
"And elyo the angel Malaika answered alaeba ("he told") and said ati ("saying") unto the women abanakashi, Fear not ye mwitiina ("do not fear, all of you"): for I know ninjishiba ("I know it") that ukuti ye seek mulefwaya ("you are seeking") Jesus Yesu, which uo ("whom") was crucified batanike ("they hung up"). He is not here talimo muno ("he is not in here"): for he is risen nabuuka ("he has risen") ku bafwa ("from the dead") as nga he said filya fine asosele ("just as he said"). Come iseni, see mumone ("that you may see") the place where apo the Lord lay bamulalike ("they laid him")." - Matthew 28:5–6 (KJV)
"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." "Malaika alaeba abanakashi ati, 'Mwitiina, ninjishiba ukuti mulefwaya Yesu, uo batanike. Ala talimo muno, nabuuka ku bafwa nga filya fine asosele. Iseni mumone apo bamulalike.'" (Mateo 28:5–6, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
The women have come to the grave to find a dead man, and they are afraid. The angel's first word to them is a "not": "Fear not." It takes the fear away before it gives any reason. Then it names what the women are doing: "I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified." The second "not" follows: "He is not here." It is a plain sentence of three small words, and it says that the grave is empty. But the angel does not stop on the "not". At once comes the reason, "for he is risen, as he said", and then the invitation: "Come, see the place where the Lord lay." A "not" empties the place, and "come, see" fills it with a meaning. The first "not" is a command to the women, and the second is a fact about the grave. The English and the Bemba both set the two "nots" in the same order, and in both of them the sentence which follows the second "not" is the shortest way to the joy: he is risen. Mateo 28:6 begins with Ala, "Oh", before talimo muno, as a surprise before the news. The parallel verse in Luka 24:5–6 has the same news: "Yesu muno talimo, nabuuka."
- "Fear not ye" is old English. The verb comes first and "not" follows it, and "ye" is the old word for "you" when there are many. Today: "Do not be afraid" (or "Don't be afraid"). Bemba mwitiina has mwi- (do not, you all) + -tiina (fear); compare Mwitiina and Mwilaenda (Yoani 14:1). - "He is not here" is normal English today. "Is" + "not" goes straight together, with no "do". Bemba talimo has ta- (not) + -li- (is) + -mo (in): "he is not in here". - "For he is risen" is the old way to make the perfect with "be". Today: "for he has risen" (or "for he has been raised"). Bemba nabuuka: na- (has) + -buuka (rise). The Bemba adds ku bafwa, "from the dead", which the King James Version has in other places (Matthew 28:7) but not in this verse. - "Which was crucified": "which" is old English for "who" with a person. The Bemba says uo batanike, "whom they hung up". "Crucified" means "killed on a cross". - "Where the Lord lay": "lay" is the past of "lie" (to rest flat), not of "lay" (to put). Bemba says apo bamulalike, "where they laid him", with the actors in the sentence. Notice "lie, lay" and "lay, laid". - The verse uses "ye" and "seek"; today we say "you" and "are looking for". Bemba mulefwaya (mu- = you all, -le- = now, -fwaya = want, look for) is close to the modern "you are looking for".
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
20.16 The cat pushi is not (ta-) on pali the table itebulo now nomba (Pushi tali pali itebulo)
20.17 It (a-) is not (ta-) on pali the chair icipuna (Tali pali icipuna)
20.18 Mwansa Mwansa is not (ta-) glad ne nsansa ("with joy")
20.19 Mwansa Mwansa says ati I (n-) do not (nshi-) know -ishibe where apo my wandi cat pushi is ali
20.20 Bupe Bupe says ati the cat pushi is not (ta-) on panshi the floor ("down")
20.21 Chanda Chanda looks alalolesha but lelo he (a-) does not (ta-) see -mona the cat pushi
20.22 The teacher's wife umukashi wa kafundisha says ati Mwansa Mwansa do not (wi-la-) worry -sakamikwa
20.23 Mutale Mutale says ati today ilelo we are not (ta-tu-) at ku school sukulu
20.24 We (tu-) do not (ta-tu-) see -mona the cat pushi but lelo we (tu-) have -kwete time inshita
20.25 The children abana call balamwita ("they call him") the cat pushi but lelo it (a-) does not (ta-) listen -tesha
20.26 Bupe Bupe says ati look lolesheni the cat pushi is not (ta-) in -li-mo the house mu ng'anda it (a-) is ali in mu the garden ibala
20.27 Mwansa Mwansa takes asenda the cat pushi and elyo he (a-) does not (ta-) put -bika it on pali the table itebulo
20.28 The teacher's wife umukashi wa kafundisha says ati thank you natotela Mwansa Mwansa the cat pushi is not (ta-) on pali the table itebulo now nomba
20.29 Mwansa Mwansa says ati now nomba I (n-) am not (nshi-) afraid -tiina
20.30 Mutale Mutale says ati now nomba we are not (ta-tu-) hungry ne nsala ("with hunger") madam mukwai thank you natotela
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
20.16 The cat is not on the table now. Pushi tali pali itebulo nomba.
20.17 It is not on the chair. Tali pali icipuna.
20.18 Mwansa is not glad. Mwansa tali ne nsansa.
20.19 Mwansa: "I don't know where my cat is." Mwansa: "Nshishibe apo pushi wandi ali."
20.20 Bupe: "The cat isn't on the floor." Bupe: "Pushi tali panshi."
20.21 Chanda looks, but he does not see the cat. Chanda alalolesha, lelo tamona pushi.
20.22 The teacher's wife: "Don't worry, Mwansa." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Mwansa, wilasakamikwa."
20.23 Mutale: "Today we aren't at school." Mutale: "Ilelo tatuli ku sukulu."
20.24 Mutale: "We don't see the cat, but we have time." Mutale: "Tatumona pushi, lelo tukwete inshita."
20.25 The children call the cat, but it does not listen. Abana balamwita pushi, lelo tatesha.
20.26 Bupe: "Look! The cat isn't in the house. It is in the garden!" Bupe: "Lolesheni! Pushi talimo mu ng'anda. Ali mwibala!"
20.27 Mwansa takes the cat, and he does not put it on the table. Mwansa asenda pushi, elyo tabika pali itebulo.
20.28 The teacher's wife: "Thank you, Mwansa. The cat is not on the table now." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Natotela, Mwansa. Pushi tali pali itebulo nomba."
20.29 Mwansa: "Now I am not afraid." Mwansa: "Nomba nshitiina."
20.30 Mutale: "Now we aren't hungry, madam. Thank you." Mutale: "Nomba tatuli ne nsala, mukwai. Natotela."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
20.16 The cat is not on the table now.
20.17 It is not on the chair.
20.18 Mwansa is not glad.
20.19 Mwansa: "I don't know where my cat is."
20.20 Bupe: "The cat isn't on the floor."
20.21 Chanda looks, but he does not see the cat.
20.22 The teacher's wife: "Don't worry, Mwansa."
20.23 Mutale: "Today we aren't at school."
20.24 Mutale: "We don't see the cat, but we have time."
20.25 The children call the cat, but it does not listen.
20.26 Bupe: "Look! The cat isn't in the house. It is in the garden!"
20.27 Mwansa takes the cat, and he does not put it on the table.
20.28 The teacher's wife: "Thank you, Mwansa. The cat is not on the table now."
20.29 Mwansa: "Now I am not afraid."
20.30 Mutale: "Now we aren't hungry, madam. Thank you."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The narrative continues Lesson 19. It is still a Saturday in the teacher's house. The cat cannot be found, and Mwansa, whose cat it is, is worried. Every sentence has "not", and the story tells it in the present tense, the way a story is told aloud.
- "Not" after "be": the cat is not on the table (20.16), it is not on the chair (20.17), Mwansa is not glad (20.18), the cat isn't on the floor (20.20), we aren't at school (20.23), the cat isn't in the house (20.26), the cat is not on the table (20.28), I am not afraid (20.29), we aren't hungry (20.30). Bemba: tali, tatuli, talimo, nshitiina. The "be" verb has no separate word for "is" in these Bemba sentences, but English needs "is", "are" or "am" every time. - "Not" after "do": I don't know (20.19), he does not see (20.21), we don't see (20.24), it does not listen (20.25), he does not put (20.27). Bemba: nshishibe, tamona, tatumona, tatesha, tabika. With he, she, it: "does not" + the plain verb: "he does not see", not "he does not sees". - A command: "Don't worry, Mwansa" (20.22). Bemba: wilasakamikwa (wi-, one person). - "But": in 20.21, 20.24 and 20.25 "but" joins two parts, and "not" is in the first part. Bemba: lelo. English puts a comma before "but". - Contractions in the dialogue. In 20.19 to 20.30 the people in the story speak, and they say "don't", "isn't", "aren't". In 20.21, 20.25 and 20.27 the narrator tells, and writes "does not". This is the usual way in English stories. - "On" and "in" again: the cat is not on the table, on the chair, on the floor (Lesson 18), but it is in the house and in the garden (20.26). "Not in the house" and "in the garden" are two different places. - "Look!" In 20.26 Bupe says "Look!" to several people: Lolesheni, the plural of lolesha. English "Look!" is the same for one or many. - "I don't know where my cat is." In 20.19 the English puts "is" at the end of the clause, and not before "my cat": "where my cat is", not "where is my cat". Bemba apo pushi wandi ali has the same order. - "Now" in 20.16, 20.28, 20.29 and 20.30 means "at this moment". The cat's story begins with "now" and ends with "now".
About the Bemba of this genre section. The Bemba of 20.16 to 20.30 is pedagogical: it is built on negative forms which are in the Bemba Bible (Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015), and is not copied from it: tauli and tabuli (Yoani 18:17, 18:36), talimo (Mateo 28:6), tabamona and tabatesha (Mateo 13:13), tamufwaya (Yoani 5:40), nshikwete (Imilimo 3:6), wila- (Ukufuma 20:13–16), mwitiina (Mateo 28:5), mwilasakamikwa (Mateo 6:25). The forms for "he, she, it" (tamona, tatesha, tabika) and for "we" (tatumona, tatuli) follow the same rule, ta- + the person + the verb, as tabamona and tabatesha for "they". The nouns (pushi, itebulo, icipuna, ku sukulu, mwibala, ne nsala, mukwai, natotela) are the words of earlier lessons of this course.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
- "Not" /nɒt/ and "knot" /nɒt/ sound the same, but "knot" begins with a silent k: k-n-o-t. A knot is what you tie in a rope. "Naught" /nɔːt/ (old English, "nothing") has a long vowel. - "Not" /nɒt/ and "note" /nəʊt/ are different words: "I do not write" but "I write a note". "Not" and "nut" /nʌt/ are different too: the vowel is different. - "Not" and "no" /nəʊ/ are different words: "No, I am not." "No" is the answer and "not" is in the sentence. - Spelling: n-o-t. "Cannot" is one word, "can't" has an apostrophe in place of the letters "no". "Can not" in two words is used only when "not" belongs to the next words: "You can not only read it but also write it." - The apostrophe in "don't" takes the place of the letter o in "not": do not → don't. "Won't" is the irregular one: will not → won't. The apostrophe in English shows letters left out. The Bemba ng'anda also has an apostrophe, but there it is part of the sound ng'. - A contraction is one word: isn't, don't, can't. Write the apostrophe where the o was left out, not in the middle of the word: "is'nt" and "do'nt" are wrong. - "Not" has a capital letter only at the start of a sentence: "Not now." Inside a sentence it is "not".
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---
Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)