CHAPTER 5
A LEARNER'S SYNOPSIS OF KIRUNDI STRUCTURE
The discussion of subject and object prefixes showed one important role which concordial agreement plays in the operation of the Kirundi language. A list of concordial classes was given on p. x , together with a list of the prefixes which represent those classes where the subjects of verbs are concerned.
Class concords also appear in many other parts of the language:
| Class 8: | Ibiriíbwa mufisé ni inikí? | ('Foods that—you-have are which?') |
| Class 10: | Impuúzu mufisé ni inkí? | ('Clothes that-you-have are which?') |
| Class 8: | Zana ibiriíbwa. | 'Bring foodstuffs.' |
| Ngiigi. | 'Here they are.' | |
| Class 10: | Zana impuzú. | 'Bring [articles of] clothing.' |
| Ngiibi. | 'Here they are.' | |
| Class 3: | Umudúga waawe ni mwiizá. | 'Your car is good.' |
| Class 12: | Akazi kaawe ni keeza. | 'Your work is good.' |
Compare these two short dialogues, which are identical except for the first noun and the concords that depend upon it.
| Barafíse impuúzu? | '[Do] they have [articles of] clothing?' |
| Eegó, barazíise. | 'Yes, they have them' |
| Bafise nyiínshi? | 'Do they have many?' |
| Oya, bafise nké. | 'No, they have few.' |
| Ni ziingáahé? | 'How many are there.' (‘[They] are how—many?‘) |
| Zitaanu gusa. | 'Five only.' |
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