Pronouns — Personal and Possessive

§64–80. PRONOUNS PERSONAL PRONOUNS — ABSOLUTE FORMS (used independently or with prepositions): Singular: ame (I) ove (thou/you) eie (he/she/it) Plural: etu (we) ene (you pl.) ovo (they) With prepositions: t'ame (with me) t'etu (with us) k'ove (for thee) k'ene (for you) v'eie (in him) v'ovo (in them) PERSONAL PRONOUNS — SUBJECTIVE PREFIXES (attached to verb as subject markers): 1st sg: ndi- / ngu- 1st pl: tu- 2nd sg: u- / o- 2nd pl: vu- 3rd sg: u- / o- 3rd pl: va- Notes: — 2nd and 3rd person singular are identical; context or the absolute pronoun distinguishes them — ndi- is used before consonants; before k, ndi- undergoes change: nd + k → h (see §26) — For non-personal subjects, use the pronominal prefix of the noun's class instead of va-: olo-ngombe vi-tila = the oxen flee (vi- = Class 5 plural pronominal prefix) PERSONAL PRONOUNS — OBJECTIVE INFIXES (inserted between subject prefix and verb stem): 1st sg: ndi- / ngu- (me) 1st pl: tu- (us) 2nd sg: ku- (thee/you) 2nd pl: vu- (you pl.) 3rd sg: u- / o- (him/her) 3rd pl: va- (them) Examples: ndi-ku-sola = I love thee u-a-tu-mona = he saw us ndi-u-ipa = I killed him ndi-va-ipa = I killed them ndi-vi-sola = I love them (referring to Class 5 nouns, olo-ngombe) REFLEXIVE PRONOUN: li (invariable, all persons) Placed between subject prefix and verb stem: u-a-li-veta = he struck himself oku-li-mona = to see oneself POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS Two classes: 1. Derived from personal pronouns (personal possessives): Stems: -ange (my), -ove (thy), -aie (his/her), -etu (our), -ene (your), -avo (their) Each takes the pronominal prefix of the POSSESSED noun's class: onjo i-ange = my house (Class 5, pron. prefix i-) uti u-ange = my tree (Class 2, pron. prefix u-) elaka li-ange = my tongue (Class 3, pron. prefix li-) oku-tui ku-ange = my ear (Class 9, pron. prefix ku-) 2. General possessives (derived from pronominal prefixes + article o): Formed: pronominal prefix of POSSESSED + genitive particle -a- + general possessive radical The general radical is formed by prefixing the article o to the pronominal prefix: Class 5 pron. i- → general possessive radical -io Class 1 pron. u- → general possessive radical -uo Class 4 pron. chi- → general possessive radical -achio This system allows third-person possessive reference to any noun class.