Genitive, Agreement, and Attributes
§216. THE GENITIVE
The genitive (possessive relationship) is expressed by:
POSSESSED NOUN + PRONOMINAL PREFIX OF POSSESSED + -a- + POSSESSOR NOUN
The particle -a- is the genitive marker. It is preceded by the pronominal
prefix of the CLASS OF THE POSSESSED (not the possessor). In speech,
this -a- often merges with the surrounding vowels.
EXAMPLES BY CLASS:
Class 1 possessed:
omu-nga u'omu-funu = the messenger of the merchant
(u- = Class 1 pron. prefix; -a- = genitive; omu-funu = merchant)
u-kai u'u-lovi = the wife of the fisherman
Class 2 possessed:
omu-kanda u'omu-funu = the letter of the merchant
u-songo vi'a-kongo = the arrows of the hunters
Class 3 possessed:
e-laka li'u-kai = the tongue of the woman
e-ka v'u-ngombo = the hand of the shepherd (vahand-a = hands)
Class 4 possessed:
ochi-kuto chi'i-nakulu = the dress of the queen
Class 5 possessed:
o-ngombe i'u-kongo = the ox of the hunter
o-ndaka i'u-lume = the word of the man
Class 6 possessed:
olu-si lu'u-lovi = the fish of the fisherman
Class 7 possessed:
oka-ndimba ka'u-kongo = the little hare of the hunter
Class 8 possessed:
ou-ato u'o-soma = the canoe of the king
Class 9 possessed:
oku-tui ku'oka-ndimba = the ear of the little hare
§217. ATTRIBUTES OF THE SUBJECT
An attribute (adjective, relative clause, genitive, adverb) follows the noun
and is linked to it by the pronominal prefix system.
Types of subject attribute:
1. Adjective: u-ti u-sovi = the tall tree
2. Possessive: onjo i-ange = my house
3. Genitive: onjo i'osoma = the house of the king
4. Demonstrative: ochi-na chechi = this thing
5. Qualitative verb (in past tense functioning as adjective):
u-lume u-akola = a strong man (lit. "a man who has been strong")
6. Relative clause (no relative pronoun; the pronominal prefix functions as relative):
o-sanji, u-a-i-landa hena, i-afa
= the fowl (that) thou boughtest yesterday died
§218. THE DIRECT OBJECT
Position: normally AFTER the verb.
For emphasis: may precede the verb; then represented also by an INFIX in the verb:
olongombe, nd'-a-vi-ipa = the oxen — I killed them
(vi- = Class 5 pl. object infix; ipa = kill)
Absolute pronouns as objects (emphatic):
u-afeta ove = he paid thee
Better emphatic form: ove, u-a-ku-feta = thee, he paid thee.
§219. INDIRECT OBJECT
The indirect object uses the same position and infixes as the direct object.
When both direct and indirect objects appear, the indirect typically comes first:
tu-a-u-avela olonhimi vivali = we gave thee two blankets
(u = thee [indirect infix]; avela = gave; olonhimi = blankets)