3.4.
Pronouns
Hornby (2001:934) says that «a pronoun is a word that is
used instead of a noun or a noun phrase.» Hereafter, only relative
pronouns are going to be looked into as far as diglossic lexical distinction is
concerned. The other pronouns display diglossic phonological distinctions.
Example, in personal pronouns subject, «mimi» (I) is used in S and
«mi(ye)» in B.S
3 .4.1. Relative pronouns.
The two varieties share different lexical items to express
relative pronouns. In B.S., relative pronouns are made thanks to the stem
-nye depending on the nominal prefix of the noun it occurs
with.
E.g.:
1) Mwalimu mwenye anafundishaka ku I.S.P... «The man who
teaches at I.S.P...»
2) Shamba yenye bikonalima... «The field that they are
cultivating...»
In S, relative pronouns are made thanks to the stem
-o- depending on the pronominal prefix of the noun it occurs
with, except for the first, second and third persons of singular which resort
to -ye-.
E.g.:
1) Mnaolia... «You who are weeping...»
2) Ndege inayoruka...»The bird that flies...»
More elaboration is found in the two following charts:
a) B.S. chart
Here is the chart I made up basing on the reality of Bukavu
Swahili:
|
Cl
|
Rel. Pronouns
|
Examples
|
|
Cl 1
Cl 2
|
1st person: mwenye
2nd person:mwenye
3rd person: mwenye
1st person: benye
2nd person: benye
3rd person:benye
|
Mi mwenye minacheka... «I who
laugh...»
We mwenye unalia... «You who
weep/complain...»
Ye mwenye anasema... «He who
speaks...»
Shi benye tunaishi... »We who
live...»
Nyi benye munaenda... «You who
go...»
Bo benye baliona... «They who
saw...»
|
|
Cl 2
|
Yenye
|
Kuku yenye inatagaka... «A hen which
lays eggs...»
|
|
Cl 4
|
Zenye
|
(Ma)kuku zenye zinatagaka... «Hens which
lay eggs...»
|
|
Cl 5
|
(k)yenye
|
Kitabu (k)yenye ulisoma... «The book
that you read...»
|
|
Cl 6
|
(b)yenye
|
Bitabu (b)yenye ulisoma... «The books
that you read...»
|
|
Cl 7
|
Kwenye
|
Pale kwenye uko... «The place where you
are»
|
|
Cl 8
|
Mwenye
|
Munyumba mwenye niko... »The house in
which I am...»
|
b) S chart
|
Cl
|
Rel pronouns
|
Examples
|
|
Cl 1
Cl 2
|
1st person: -ye-
2nd person: -ye-
3rd person: -ye-
1st person: -o-
2nd person: -o-
3rd person: -o-
|
Ninayecheka/Nichekaye...
»I who am laughing...»
Unayesoma/Usomaye...
«You who are reading...»
Anayelia/Aliaye...
«S/he who is weeping...»
Tunaochoka/Tuchokao...
«We who are tired...»
Mnaosema/Msemao... «You
who are speaking...»
Wanaocheza/Wachezao...
«They who are playing...»
|
|
Cl 3
|
-o-
|
Mmea unaokauka/ukaukao...
»The plant that fades...»
|
|
Cl 4
|
-yo-
|
Mimea inayokauka/ikaukayo...
«The plants that fade...»
|
|
Cl 5
|
-lo-
|
Shoka linalokata/likatalo...
»The axe that slits...»
|
|
Cl 6
|
-yo-
|
Mashoka
yanayokata/yakatayo... «The axes that
slit...»
|
|
Cl 7
|
-cho-
|
Kisu
kinachokata/kikatacho... »The knife
which is sharp...»
|
|
Cl 8
|
-vyo-
|
Visu vinavyokata/vikatavyo
»The knives that are sharp...»
|
|
Cl 9
|
-yo-
|
Ndege inayoruka/irukayo...
«The bird that flies...»
|
|
Cl 10
|
-zo-
|
Ndege zinazoruka/zirukazo...
«The birds that fly...»
|
|
Cl 11
|
-o-
|
Ufagio unaofagia/ufagiao...
»The besom that sweeps..»
|
|
Cl 12
|
-ko-
|
Kufa kunakofika/kufikako...
»Death which happens...»
|
|
Cl 13
|
-po-
|
Mahali
panapokosa/pakosapo... »The place that
lacks...»
|
|
Cl 14
|
-ko-
|
Nyumbani
tunakokwenda/twendako...»Home where
we're going...»
|
|
Cl 15
|
-mo-
|
Inchini tunamoishi/tuishimo...
»The country in which we are living...»
|
Source: Heylen (1977:62-3)
| 
