AFL2601 POSSIBLE EXAM QUESTIONS
Socio-historical introduction to African languages
For a language to be classified as a belonging to the Bantu language group. It has to display four characteristic
features according to Guthrie. Mention these features and give examples from your chosen African language to
show how the language complies with each of these four criteria (10)
A sign of gender, therefore prefixes are assorted into classes.
Example – umu___, aba____ etc.
Association of these classes into singular and plural.
Example – umu is singular – umuntu (person)
aba is plural – abantu (persons)
Class concordance.
Example – Amakatiayabaleka. The subject concords are needed to link nouns to other words.
No sex reference in the correlation of genders.
Example - the subject concord and pronouns do not distinguish between sexes i.e. he/she. Class 1a:
Umama u and Ubaba u-same subject concord is used for both Umama (mother) and Ubaba (father).
The four characteristic features that typify a language as belonging to the Bantu language family with
examples from the chosen African language:
1
. sign of gender, therefore prefixes assorted into classes
e.g. class 1 (mo-/umu-), 2 (ba-/aba-) etc.
2
. association of these classes into singular and plural
e.g. class 1 (singular), class 2 (plural)
Up to class 10 singular and plural noun classes are regularly paired, with uneven-
numbered classes usually containing singular nouns and the even-numbered classes
containing plural nouns. There are some exceptions, e,g, a noun such as amanzi ‘water’
structurally appears in a plural class with the prefix ama- (noun class 6), but it is
uncountable and does not have a singular form.
3
. class concordance
e.g. grammatical agreement (bana ba a sepela/abantwana bayahamba)
‘Linking elements’ such as subject concords are needed to link nouns to other words in a
sentence. Nouns generate these concordial agreement morphemes.
no sex reference in the correlation of genders ()
e.g. subject concords and pronouns do not distinguish between sexes (he/she):
class 1: mosadi o …, monna o … (same subject concord is used for both mosadi and
monna), or class 1a: (female): umame yena …, (male): ubaba yena (same pronoun is
used to indicate ‘she’ in the case of umame and ‘he’ in the case of ubaba) (½) Note that point 4. Has
nothing to do with biological gender, e.g. bull vs cow, man vs woman, but with the fact that the
opposition ‘he/she’ cannot be expressed in the concordial
morphemes or pronouns.
1
, Structural overview of the African language
Mention at least 3 factors which can be given as possible explanations why white people in South Africa in
general have not acquired an African language or find it difficult t to do so. (pg 16) (3)
Economic factor - the success of a business never depended on having to learn an African language.
Prestige factor - learning an African language was never given importance before. It was English and
Afrikaans that were regarded as prestige language
The structure of African language. It has a unique word and sentence structure.
Give an example of a deverbative in your African language which consists of the morphemes as indicated in the
table below. Copy the table in your examination answer book and analyse your example accordingly.
Examples of devarbative analysis class prefix verb root extension suffix
i-z-ithand-an-i i-zi thand an -i
After completing the table, also indicate the following:
The class number to which the noun belongs (eg class 1.2 etc)
The noun belongs to class 8.
The type of extension you have used in your example (eg applied/applicative, causative, reciprocal, etc)
The type of extension used is reciprocal.
Whether the suffix is a personal or an impersonal deverbative suffix
It is a personal deverbative suffix.
When borrowed words are accommodate in an African language, the sound sequences have to be adapted.
Explain what is meant by this statement and support your answer by referring to a suitable example of such a
borrowed word in your African language. (4) (pg27/28)
In order for borrowed nouns to be able to generate agreement morphemes which will link them to
other elements in the sentence, they need to be accommodated in one of the noun classes. An Example
of a borrowed noun in a sentence to show con-cordial agreement.
Example - postcard
Zulu – Iposkhadi
Provide a sentence in you language that denotes the logical or semantic subject, by using ku-preposing/ ho-
preposing/ go-preposeing. Underline the semantic subject in your sentence. (pg 44)
Kuhambaindoda.
Ku – is indefinite concord
Indoda – logical/semantic subject
Translate the following sentence into your African language
New complicated diseases attacked many South Africans
izifoezintshaeziyinkimbinkimbiwahlaselwaabaningi base-Afrikaeningizimu
2
Socio-historical introduction to African languages
For a language to be classified as a belonging to the Bantu language group. It has to display four characteristic
features according to Guthrie. Mention these features and give examples from your chosen African language to
show how the language complies with each of these four criteria (10)
A sign of gender, therefore prefixes are assorted into classes.
Example – umu___, aba____ etc.
Association of these classes into singular and plural.
Example – umu is singular – umuntu (person)
aba is plural – abantu (persons)
Class concordance.
Example – Amakatiayabaleka. The subject concords are needed to link nouns to other words.
No sex reference in the correlation of genders.
Example - the subject concord and pronouns do not distinguish between sexes i.e. he/she. Class 1a:
Umama u and Ubaba u-same subject concord is used for both Umama (mother) and Ubaba (father).
The four characteristic features that typify a language as belonging to the Bantu language family with
examples from the chosen African language:
1
. sign of gender, therefore prefixes assorted into classes
e.g. class 1 (mo-/umu-), 2 (ba-/aba-) etc.
2
. association of these classes into singular and plural
e.g. class 1 (singular), class 2 (plural)
Up to class 10 singular and plural noun classes are regularly paired, with uneven-
numbered classes usually containing singular nouns and the even-numbered classes
containing plural nouns. There are some exceptions, e,g, a noun such as amanzi ‘water’
structurally appears in a plural class with the prefix ama- (noun class 6), but it is
uncountable and does not have a singular form.
3
. class concordance
e.g. grammatical agreement (bana ba a sepela/abantwana bayahamba)
‘Linking elements’ such as subject concords are needed to link nouns to other words in a
sentence. Nouns generate these concordial agreement morphemes.
no sex reference in the correlation of genders ()
e.g. subject concords and pronouns do not distinguish between sexes (he/she):
class 1: mosadi o …, monna o … (same subject concord is used for both mosadi and
monna), or class 1a: (female): umame yena …, (male): ubaba yena (same pronoun is
used to indicate ‘she’ in the case of umame and ‘he’ in the case of ubaba) (½) Note that point 4. Has
nothing to do with biological gender, e.g. bull vs cow, man vs woman, but with the fact that the
opposition ‘he/she’ cannot be expressed in the concordial
morphemes or pronouns.
1
, Structural overview of the African language
Mention at least 3 factors which can be given as possible explanations why white people in South Africa in
general have not acquired an African language or find it difficult t to do so. (pg 16) (3)
Economic factor - the success of a business never depended on having to learn an African language.
Prestige factor - learning an African language was never given importance before. It was English and
Afrikaans that were regarded as prestige language
The structure of African language. It has a unique word and sentence structure.
Give an example of a deverbative in your African language which consists of the morphemes as indicated in the
table below. Copy the table in your examination answer book and analyse your example accordingly.
Examples of devarbative analysis class prefix verb root extension suffix
i-z-ithand-an-i i-zi thand an -i
After completing the table, also indicate the following:
The class number to which the noun belongs (eg class 1.2 etc)
The noun belongs to class 8.
The type of extension you have used in your example (eg applied/applicative, causative, reciprocal, etc)
The type of extension used is reciprocal.
Whether the suffix is a personal or an impersonal deverbative suffix
It is a personal deverbative suffix.
When borrowed words are accommodate in an African language, the sound sequences have to be adapted.
Explain what is meant by this statement and support your answer by referring to a suitable example of such a
borrowed word in your African language. (4) (pg27/28)
In order for borrowed nouns to be able to generate agreement morphemes which will link them to
other elements in the sentence, they need to be accommodated in one of the noun classes. An Example
of a borrowed noun in a sentence to show con-cordial agreement.
Example - postcard
Zulu – Iposkhadi
Provide a sentence in you language that denotes the logical or semantic subject, by using ku-preposing/ ho-
preposing/ go-preposeing. Underline the semantic subject in your sentence. (pg 44)
Kuhambaindoda.
Ku – is indefinite concord
Indoda – logical/semantic subject
Translate the following sentence into your African language
New complicated diseases attacked many South Africans
izifoezintshaeziyinkimbinkimbiwahlaselwaabaningi base-Afrikaeningizimu
2
