KwaunobvaMutauroMipanda yeMazita
Mutauro
Mipanda yeMazita
Noun Classes
Tsanangudzo
ChiShona chine mipanda yemazita, mumwe nomumwe une chivakashure (prefix) chinowanikwa pamberi pedzitsi rezita. Mipanda inosanganisira 1 nemazita anoreva vanhu (mu-/mw-, sokuti murume); 1a mazita chaiwo evanhu asina chivakashure chiri pachena (Tenzi, Sahwira); 2 muuzhinji hwemupanda 1 (va-, sokuti vanhu); 2a nemazita ane chivakashure /va-/ chinoshanduka kuita /a-/ muchiManyika (VaShe/aShe); 2b mazita ane chivakashure /a-/ chechiZezuru (ambuya, amai); 3 zvinhu zvakarebenuka kana zvisingabatiki (mu-/mw-/m-, sokuti muti, mweya); 4 muuzhinji hwemupanda 3 (mi-/m-/mw-); 5 mazita anowanzova asina chivakashure chiri pachena (ri-, sokuti jira); 6 muuzhinji hwemupanda 5 (ma-, sokuti machira); 7 (chi-/ch-, sokuti chitoro); 8 muuzhinji hwemupanda 7 (zvi-/zv-); 9 mazita anotanga nemumhuno (N-, sokuti imba); 10 muuzhinji hwemupanda 9 (dzi-); 11 (ru-/rw-, sokuti ruoko); 12 chidiminitivi (ka-, sokuti karume); 13 muuzhinji hwemupanda 12 (tu-/tw-/twu-); 14 mazita ehunhu (u-/hu-/hw-, sokuti uroyi); 15 mazita akabva muzviito (ku-, sokuti kuba); 16-18 nzvimbo (pa-, ku-, mu-); 19 mazita omutauro weChikaranga (sv-/svi-); 21 chikurusa kana chituko (zi-, sokuti zimbwa).
In English
Shona nouns are organised into noun classes, each marked by a prefix attached to the noun stem. Class 1 holds nouns for people (mu-/mw-, e.g. murume, 'man'); class 1a holds proper nouns for people with no visible prefix (Tenzi, Sahwira); class 2 is the plural of class 1 (va-, e.g. vanhu, 'people'); class 2a takes /va-/, realised as /a-/ in the Manyika dialect (VaShe/aShe); class 2b takes /a-/ in Zezuru (ambuya, 'grandmother'; amai, 'mother'); class 3 holds long or intangible things (mu-/mw-/m-, e.g. muti 'tree', mweya 'spirit'); class 4 is its plural (mi-/m-/mw-); class 5 nouns often show no visible prefix (ri-, e.g. jira 'cloth'); class 6 is its plural (ma-, e.g. machira); class 7 (chi-/ch-, e.g. chitoro 'shop'); class 8 is its plural (zvi-/zv-); class 9 nouns begin with a nasal (N-, e.g. imba 'house'); class 10 is its plural (dzi-); class 11 (ru-/rw-, e.g. ruoko 'arm'); class 12 marks diminutives (ka-, e.g. karume 'little man'); class 13 is its plural (tu-/tw-/twu-); class 14 holds abstract nouns of state or trade (u-/hu-/hw-, e.g. uroyi 'witchcraft'); class 15 holds nouns derived from verbs, infinitives (ku-, e.g. kuba 'to steal'); classes 16-18 mark location (pa-, ku-, mu-); class 19 holds Karanga-dialect nouns (sv-/svi-); class 21 marks augmentatives or derogatory forms (zi-, e.g. zimbwa 'big/nasty dog').