NWO/University of Groningen

As is well known, Swahili (like other Bantu languages) features a system of noun classes, each class being marked by a prefix on the noun (referred to as the class prefix). The following classes are generally distinguished: (1) Swahili noun classes (Ashton 1959:10) 1. m-tu [1-man] ‘person ’ 2. wa-tu [2-man] ‘persons’ 3. m-ti [3-tree] ‘tree ’ 4. mi-ti [4-tree] ‘trees’ 5. ji-cho [5-eye] ‘eye ’ 6. ma-cho [6-eye] ‘eyes’ 7. ki-su [7-knife] ‘knife ’ 8. vi-su [8-knife] ‘knives’ 9. n-jia [9-path] ‘path ’ 10. n-jia [10-path] ‘paths’ 11. u-limi [11-tongue] ‘tongue ’ 14. u-zee [14-old] ‘old age’ 15. ku-cheza [15-play] ‘playing