I am on a quest – to define and refine and redefine the inclusion criteria for each of the iziGaba zamaBizo (Noun Classes) of isiZulu. As such, I will be writing sections on each of them, looking at their different inhabitants. Please be aware that this is my personal interpretation of them – not Meinhof’s, or Doke’s, or Nyembezi’s.
To begin with, here is an overview of the Noun Classes. Below is a list of them, which has some links to blogs illustrating the practical(ish) implications of them.
amaBizo esiGaba sabaNtu – Human Noun Class
- umvukelambuso
- UJacob Gedleyihlekisa wakwaZuma (aka uMsholozi)
- umakoti
- uMasingana
- uNhlolanja
- uNdasa
- uMbasa
- uNhlaba
- uNhlangulana
- uNtulikazi
- uNcwaba
- uMandulo
- uMfumfu
- uLwezi
- uZibandlela
- usoklele
- uNcibijane
- umuntu
amaBizo esiGaba semiThi nemiFula – Simple Solid Noun Class
amaBizo esiGaba seLanga namaNzi – Simple Fluid Noun Class
amaBizo esiGaba sesAndla neziKhumba nesiNtu – Complex Solid Noun Class
- isifazane
- isilo
- isililo
- isilili
- isilisa
- isijobelelo
- isono
- isibindi
- isikhanda
- isithakazelo
- isikhova
- isifo
- isintu
amaBizo esiGaba sezinKomo neziNyanga – Seasonal Noun Class
- inyanga
- inguquko
- impenduko
- ingungumbane
- inkululeko
- impambosi
- inhliziyo
- inkanda
- ingqalasizinda
- insimbi
- inhlangano
- indabuko
- indoda
- intombi
amaBizo esiGaba soluJu noThando neziNwabu – Complex Fluid Noun Class
amaBizo esiGaba soBuntu nobuBi noTshwala – Essential Noun Class
amaBizo esiGaba sokuDla nokuBa nokwEnza – Verbal Noun Class
- ukubusa
- ukufa
- ukona
- ukuvala
- ukufihla
- ukucwasa nokucasa
- ukukhohlwa nokukholwa
- ukuzuma nokusholoza
- ukuhlanganyela nokubambisana
- ukugana, ukushada nokwenda
- uko*
- ukuhleba nokulalela
- ukudlwengula nokudwengula
- ukuhlukumeza
- ukunukubeza
- ukuhlakaza
- ukuthwasa
- ukuvimba nokuvimbezela
- ukuthi
- ukushiya
- ukuhlangana
- ukuvuma
- ukudabuka
Hey!
I’m doing a project on ideophones and sound symbolism in Zulu,
I was wondering whether you had any recordings or anything, would be a great help!
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Hi there! Yes, I have quite a bit of stuff. I assume you’ve seen the Ideophones section in Doke’s Handbook of Zulu Grammar? It’s awesome. I can send it to you, although you’ll need dropbox.
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Hey! Yes, I’ve read that section of Doke’s handbook of Zulu grammar. Thank you for that! Do you think you could send me some recordings? I’d be very grateful!!
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actually… if you could send me that section doke’s grammar then that would be great, someone else has taken it out of the library so i can’t get hold of it! My name is emily franklin, my e-mail is 535977@soas.ac.uk
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Hi can someone send me Doke’s,Meinhof,Canonic and Mathonsi’s handbook i have a assignment to submit monday the 29th February please
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hi I need each noun is found on which number.-izigaba zamabizo
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Hi Tholakele
You can find that information in Doke and Sikhakhane’s dictionary, and online at isiZulu.net
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