Linguistic Features
Xhosa is an agglutinative language featuring an array of prefixes and suffixes that are attached to root words. As in other Bantu languages, Xhosa nouns are classified into fifteen morphological classes (or genders), with different prefixes for singular and plural. Various parts of speech that qualify a noun must agree with the noun according to its gender. These agreements usually reflect part of the original class that it is agreeing with. Constituent word order is subject–verb–object.
Verbs are modified by affixes that mark subject, object, tense, aspect, and mood. The various parts of the sentence must agree in class and number.
- Examples
- ukudlala - to play
- ukubona - to see
- umntwana - a child
- abantwana - children
- umntwana uyadlala - the child plays
- abantwana bayadlala - the children play
- indoda - a man
- amadoda - men
- indoda iyambona umntwana - the man sees the child
- amadoda ayababona abantwana - the men see the children
Read more about this topic: Xhosa Language
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