Page 1
IsiZulu Language Notes
Grade 12
, Page 2
Principle Rules:
Vowels:
• if ‘a’ is on the left, add the vowels; for example:
• a+a=a
• a+e=i
• a+u=o
• if ‘a’ is not on the left, change the vowels
• if one of the vowels is a locative, use ‘s’
Consonants:
• -nth- / -nkh- / -mph- are not allowed; thus cancel the ‘-h-’
• you are not allowed to have Cwo, so cancel the ‘-w-’
• C = consonant
, Page 3
Subject Concords
Recent Remote Possessive Prefix Adjective
Present,
Noun Past Past Prefix Relative
Future, (-) ka -a-
Prefix Contin- Contin- (a + noun Prefix
R.P. Comp
uous uous 1a R.P. Comp prefix)
umu-
um- omu-
u- ube- waye- ka- wa- o-
u- om-
1a
umu-
um- bewu- omu-
u- wawu- ka- wa- o-
(non- ubu- om-
person)
aba-
abe- ba- bebe- babe- baka- ba- aba- aba-
o-
ama- a- abe- aye- ka- a- ama- a-
isi-
si- besi- sasi- sika- sa- esi- esi-
is-
izi- ezin-
zi- bezi- zazi- zika- za- ezi-
iz- ezim-
in- beyi- en-
i- yayi- ka- ya- e-
im- ibi- em-
i(li)- li- beli- lali- lika- la- eli- eli-
uku- ku- beku- kwaku- kuka- kwa- oku- oku-
ubu-
bu- bebu- babu- buka- ba- obu- obu-
utsh-
u(lu)- lu- belu- lwalu- luka- lwa- olu- olu-
engimu-
mina ngi- bengi- ngangi- nga- engi-
m-
thina si- besi- sasi- sa- esiba- esi-
bewu- omu-
wena u- wawu- wa- o-
ubu- om-
nina ni- beni- nani- na- eniba- eni-
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Ongumnini – Possessives
Of / ’
SC + Marker + Stem (noun, pronoun, locative, uku)
1a nouns → (-) ka All nouns excluding 1a nouns → -a-
• Change the noun in brackets to a vocative • First, construct the possessive prefixes
noun (SC + a) by applying VCV rules
• If the SC = one letter, cancel the SC • Then, add the possessive prefix to the stem
e.g. ↳ Imali (umama)
↳ i + ka + mama • If the SC = one letter, cancel the vowel of
the SC (excluding lu- / ku-)
↳ kamama
• If the SC > one letter, change the SC:
• If the SC > than one letter, use the SC • i→y
e.g. ↳ Isikhwama (umama) • u→w
↳ si + ka + mama
↳ sikamama • lu- / ku- → lw- / kw- if VCV ends in -a / -e
• lu- / ku- → l- / k- if VCV ends in -o
➢The word before the brackets gives the
subject concord
• Infinitive verbs take the prefix uku-
➢The word after the brackets gives the marker
• Pronouns:
• Thina → -ithu
• Nina → -inu
• Wena → -kho
• Yena → -khe
• Locatives: add an ’s’
IsiZulu Language Notes
Grade 12
, Page 2
Principle Rules:
Vowels:
• if ‘a’ is on the left, add the vowels; for example:
• a+a=a
• a+e=i
• a+u=o
• if ‘a’ is not on the left, change the vowels
• if one of the vowels is a locative, use ‘s’
Consonants:
• -nth- / -nkh- / -mph- are not allowed; thus cancel the ‘-h-’
• you are not allowed to have Cwo, so cancel the ‘-w-’
• C = consonant
, Page 3
Subject Concords
Recent Remote Possessive Prefix Adjective
Present,
Noun Past Past Prefix Relative
Future, (-) ka -a-
Prefix Contin- Contin- (a + noun Prefix
R.P. Comp
uous uous 1a R.P. Comp prefix)
umu-
um- omu-
u- ube- waye- ka- wa- o-
u- om-
1a
umu-
um- bewu- omu-
u- wawu- ka- wa- o-
(non- ubu- om-
person)
aba-
abe- ba- bebe- babe- baka- ba- aba- aba-
o-
ama- a- abe- aye- ka- a- ama- a-
isi-
si- besi- sasi- sika- sa- esi- esi-
is-
izi- ezin-
zi- bezi- zazi- zika- za- ezi-
iz- ezim-
in- beyi- en-
i- yayi- ka- ya- e-
im- ibi- em-
i(li)- li- beli- lali- lika- la- eli- eli-
uku- ku- beku- kwaku- kuka- kwa- oku- oku-
ubu-
bu- bebu- babu- buka- ba- obu- obu-
utsh-
u(lu)- lu- belu- lwalu- luka- lwa- olu- olu-
engimu-
mina ngi- bengi- ngangi- nga- engi-
m-
thina si- besi- sasi- sa- esiba- esi-
bewu- omu-
wena u- wawu- wa- o-
ubu- om-
nina ni- beni- nani- na- eniba- eni-
, Page 4
Ongumnini – Possessives
Of / ’
SC + Marker + Stem (noun, pronoun, locative, uku)
1a nouns → (-) ka All nouns excluding 1a nouns → -a-
• Change the noun in brackets to a vocative • First, construct the possessive prefixes
noun (SC + a) by applying VCV rules
• If the SC = one letter, cancel the SC • Then, add the possessive prefix to the stem
e.g. ↳ Imali (umama)
↳ i + ka + mama • If the SC = one letter, cancel the vowel of
the SC (excluding lu- / ku-)
↳ kamama
• If the SC > one letter, change the SC:
• If the SC > than one letter, use the SC • i→y
e.g. ↳ Isikhwama (umama) • u→w
↳ si + ka + mama
↳ sikamama • lu- / ku- → lw- / kw- if VCV ends in -a / -e
• lu- / ku- → l- / k- if VCV ends in -o
➢The word before the brackets gives the
subject concord
• Infinitive verbs take the prefix uku-
➢The word after the brackets gives the marker
• Pronouns:
• Thina → -ithu
• Nina → -inu
• Wena → -kho
• Yena → -khe
• Locatives: add an ’s’
