Syntax
Copula and Predicative Nominal
ZERO COPULA — the verbs TO BE or TO BE in the PRESENT indicative have NO
morphological form of their own in Umbundu. The copular relationship is expressed
by JUXTAPOSITION: subject and predicative stand side by side, with no word between them.
RULE 1 — Present indicative with nominal predicate (be + noun):
utima wange ove = my heart is yours (lit. heart my — yours)
eye ulume = he is a man (lit. he — man)
eye osoma = he is a king (lit. he — king)
ame ngende = I am a traveler (lit. I — traveler)
o-kuete oliesi = thou art lazy (lit. thou hast laziness = thou art lazy)
RULE 2 — Predicate with a QUALIFYING ADJECTIVE:
In this case the pronominal concord prefix of the noun's class is used (NOT zero copula):
onjo i-ua = the house is good (Class 5, prefix i-)
omu-nu u-ua = the person is good (Class 1, prefix u-)
o-ngombe i-titu = the ox is small (Class 5, prefix i-)
e-kapa li-nené = the potato is large (Class 3, prefix li-)
RULE 3 — The verbal particle HA as copula (subject not expressed):
ha ukai uange = it is my wife / she is my wife
ha-li = it is / is here
ha-ii = it is / is there
ha-io = it is / is yonder
RULE 4 — The verb KALA (oku-kala = to be / to be situated / to become) — use in:
- PAST (proximate and remote): ame ndi-kala = I was; eye wa-kala = he was
- LOCATIVE (be in a place): u-lume o-li-po = the man is there
- BECOME (change of state): ndi-kala = I become / I remain
Examples with kala:
ame nd'-a-kala = I was / I used to be
eye u-a-kala = he was
etu tu-a-kala = we were
o-lume o-li-po = the man is there
o-mbua i-li-mo = the dog is here
SUMMARY:
Present + noun/pronoun -> zero copula (juxtaposition)
Present + qualifying adjective -> class concord prefix
Past / locative / become -> kala conjugated
Subject omitted (it is ...) -> particle ha