mu-
Page categories
Beembe
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 noun prefix.
Bemba
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 simple noun prefix.
- Class 3 simple noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
References
- Reverend E. Hoch (1998), Bemba - English/English - Bemba[1], Hippocrene Books, page 213
Bende
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
References
- Yuko Abe (2006), A Bende Vocabulary[2], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page v
Cebuano
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mu/ [mʊ]
Prefix
- alternative form of mo-
See also
Chichewa
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mu/
Etymology 1
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
Usage notes
The second person plural is also used as a term for respect.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix
- Class 3 noun prefix
- Class 18 noun prefix
Etymology 3
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ́-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 18 subject concord.
Digo
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 1, 3, 18 noun prefix”).
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
References
- Joseph Mwalonya, Alison Nicolle, Steve Nicolle, Juma Zimbu, Mgombato. Digo-English-Swahili Dictionary (2005), page 208
Duala
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
References
- Paul Helmlinger, Dictionnaire Duala - Français (1972) page XII
East Nyala
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 18 noun prefix.
Fwe
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-. Compare Swahili m-.
Prefix
mu-
Hehe
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 18 noun prefix.
Herero
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 18 noun prefix”).
Prefix
mu-
- Class 18 noun prefixes.
References
- Wilhelm J.G. Möhlig, Lutz Marten, Jekura U. Kavari (2002), A Grammatical Sketch of Herero (Otjiherero)[3], Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, page 31
Ikoma
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 simple noun prefix.
References
- Obhohunyurëru 12:1 - "mo-mutu" translates as "on her head", showing that when class 3 nouns use the locative case (in this case, class 18), they lose the initial vowel prefix before the noun [i.e. 'o' in omutu disappears].
Japanese
Romanization
mu-
Kamba
Alternative forms
Prefix
mu-
- you plural (used for conjugating verbs to the subjective or nominative case of the personal pronoun)
Kambera
Alternative forms
Pronoun
mu-
- second person singular nominative proclitic
See also
| nominative | genitive | accusative | dative | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | first person | ku- | -nggu | -ka | -ngga | |
| second person | mu- (u-) | -mu | -kau | -nggau | ||
| third person | na- | -na | -ya | -nya | ||
| plural | first person |
inclusive | ta- | -nda | -ta | -nda |
| exclusive | ma- | -ma | -kama | -nggama | ||
| second person | mi- (i-) | -mi | -kami (-kai) | -nggami (-nggai) | ||
| third person | da- | -da | -ha | -nja | ||
Kwangali
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix
- Class 3 noun prefix.
References
- Ernst Dammann, Studien zum Kwangali: Grammatik, Texte, Glossar, 2019 - pages 8 & 10
Lala-Bisa
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 simple noun prefix.
- Class 3 simple noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
References
- Arthur Cornwallis Madan (1908), Lala-Lamba Handbook: A Short Introduction to the South-Western Division of the Wisa-Lala Dialect of Northern Rhodesia with Stories and Vocabulary[4], Oxford Clarendon Press, pages 11, 14
Luba-Kasai
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
Malawi Lomwe
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
References
- Ellomwe-English Vocabulary, page 5
Matengo
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 1, 3 & 18 noun prefix”)
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
Notes
Yoneda does not state that 'mu-' is the Class 3 noun prefix, rather leaving it blank. However, in light of other Bantuists stating that 'mu-' is the Class 3 noun prefix, it is likely that this is also the case in Matengo.
References
- Nobuko Yoneda (2006), A Classified Vocabulary of the Matengo Language[5], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page xi
Mbukushu
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 1, 13, 18 noun prefix”).
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
References
- R.C.Wynne (1980), English-Mbukushu Dictionary[6], Avebury Publishing Company Limited, page xvii, xviii
Ndamba
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 noun prefix.
Ndengereko
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
References
- Eva-Marie Störm, The Ndengeleko language of Tanzania, page 125
Nheengatu
Alternative forms
Etymology
Prefix
mu-
- forms causative verbs from verbs
Derived terms
References
- Avila, Marcel Twardowsky (2021), “mu-”, in Proposta de dicionário nheengatu-português [Nheengatu–Portuguese dictionary proposal] (in Portuguese), São Paulo: USP, , page 491
Northern Ndebele
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
Usage notes
The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.
Nyamwanga
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Simple class 1 noun prefix.
Nyungwe
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 18 noun prefix.
Phuthi
Etymology 1
From Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
Etymology 2
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
Etymology 3
From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 noun prefix.
Punu
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 1 & 3 noun prefix”).
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
References
- Yasutoshi Yukawa (2006), A Classified Vocabulary of the Punu Language[7], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page iii
Rwanda-Rundi
Prefix
mu-
- you, second-person plural subject concord.
- Augmentless form of umu- (“class 1 or 3 noun prefix”)
- class 1 or 3 concord prefix for adjectives
Alternative forms
- mw- (before a vowel)
Shambala
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
References
- August Seidel (1895), Handbuch der Shambala-sprache in Usambara, Deutsch-Ostafrika. Mit Texten, einem Shambala-Deutschen und einem Deutsch-Shambala-Wörterbuch[8], Dresden-Leipzig, page 2
Shona
Etymology 1
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 noun prefix.
Etymology 3
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 18 noun prefix”).
Prefix
mu-
- Class 18 noun prefix.
References
- M. Hannan, S.J. (1984), Standard Shona Dictionary: Revised Edition with Addendum[9], Harare College Press, page x
Southern Ndebele
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
Usage notes
The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.
Southern Pomo
Alternative forms
Prefix
mu-
Usage notes
This prefix is used with verbs only.
Swahili
Alternative forms
Etymology 1
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu- (plural wa-)
- m class(I) noun prefix and adjective agreement prefix used before /u/ and /w/
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu- (plural mi-)
- m class(III) noun prefix and adjective agreement prefix used before /u/, /w/, and occasionally /h/
See also
- Appendix:Swahili noun classes
Etymology 3
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- you, 2nd person plural subject concord used before /u/ and /w/
- Antonym: hamu-
- verb-initial form of -mu- (“her, him; 3rd person singular (m class(I)) object concord used before /u/ and /w/”)
See also
| person | independent | subject concord | object concord |
combined forms | possessive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| affirmative | negative | na | ndi- | si- | |||||
| singular | first | mimi | ni- | si- | -ni- | nami, na mimi | ndimi, ndiye | simi, siye | -angu |
| second | wewe | u- | hu- | -ku- | nawe, na wewe | ndiwe, ndiye | siwe, siye | -ako | |
| third | yeye | a-, yu- | ha-, hayu- | -m-, -mw-, -mu- | naye, na yeye | ndiye | siye | -ake | |
| plural | first | sisi | tu- | hatu- | -tu- | nasi, na sisi | ndisi, ndio | sio | -etu |
| second | ninyi | m-, mw-, mu- | ham-, hamw-, hamu- | -wa- | nanyi, na ninyi | ndinyi, ndio | sinyi, sio | -enu | |
| third | wao | wa- | hawa- | -wa- | nao | ndio | sio | -ao | |
| reflexive | — | — | -ji- | — | — | ||||
For a full table including other classes, see Appendix:Swahili personal pronouns.
Etymology 4
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ́-.
Prefix
mu-
See also
| class | subject concord | object concord | relative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| affirmative | negative | |||
| m(I) | a-, yu- | ha-, hayu- | -m-, -mw-, -mu- | -ye |
| wa(II) | wa- | hawa- | -wa- | -o |
| m(III) | u- | hau- | -u- | -o |
| mi(IV) | i- | hai- | -i- | -yo |
| ji(V) | li- | hali- | -li- | -lo |
| ma(VI) | ya- | haya- | -ya- | -yo |
| ki(VII) | ki- | haki- | -ki- | -cho |
| vi(VIII) | vi- | havi- | -vi- | -vyo |
| n(IX) | i- | hai- | -i- | -yo |
| n(X) | zi- | hazi- | -zi- | -zo |
| u(XI) | u- | hau- | -u- | -o |
| ku(XV/XVII) | ku- | haku- | -ku- | -ko |
| pa(XVI) | pa- | hapa- | -pa- | -po |
| mu(XVIII) | m-, mw-, mu- | ham-, hamw-, hamu- | -mu- | -mo |
For a full table including first and second person,
see Appendix:Swahili personal pronouns
Swazi
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
Usage notes
The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.
Talinga-Bwisi
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 noun prefix.
Tooro
Alternative forms
- (before vowels) mw-
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mu-/
Prefix
mu-
See also
| class | person | independent | possessive | subject concord |
object concord |
combined forms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| na | ni | ||||||
| class 1 | first | nyowe, nye | -ange | n- | -n- | nanyowe, nanye | ninyowe, ninye |
| second | iwe | -awe | o- | -ku- | naiwe | niiwe | |
| third | uwe | -e | a- | -mu- | nawe | nuwe | |
| class 2 | first | itwe | -aitu | tu- | -tu- | naitwe | niitwe |
| second | inywe | -anyu | mu- | -ba- | nainywe | niinywe | |
| third | bo | -abo | ba- | -ba- | nabo | nubo | |
| class 3 | gwo | -agwo | gu- | -gu- | nagwo | nugwo | |
| class 4 | yo | -ayo | e- | -gi- | nayo | niyo | |
| class 5 | lyo | -alyo | li- | -li- | nalyo | niryo | |
| class 6 | go | -ago | ga- | -ga- | nago | nugo | |
| class 7 | kyo | -akyo | ki- | -ki- | nakyo | nikyo | |
| class 8 | byo | -abyo | bi- | -bi- | nabyo | nibyo | |
| class 9 | yo | -ayo | e- | -gi- | nayo | niyo | |
| class 10 | zo | -azo | zi- | -zi- | nazo | nizo | |
| class 11 | rwo | -arwo | ru- | -ru- | narwo | nurwo | |
| class 12 | ko | -ako | ka- | -ka- | nako | nuko | |
| class 13 | two | -atwo | tu- | -tu- | natwo | nutwo | |
| class 14 | bwo | -abwo | bu- | -bu- | nabwo | nubwo | |
| class 15 | kwo | -akwo | ku- | -ku- | nakwo | nukwo | |
| class 16 | ho | -aho | ha- | -ha- | naho | nuho | |
| class 17 | (kwo) | N/A | ha- (...-yo) |
-ha- | N/A | nukwo | |
| class 18 | (mwo) | -amwo | ha- (...-mu) |
-ha- | N/A | numwo | |
| reflexive | -enyini, -onyini | — | -e- | — | |||
References
- Kaji, Shigeki (2007), A Rutooro Vocabulary[10], Tokyo: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), →ISBN, page 413
Tsonga
Etymology 1
From Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
Etymology 2
From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.
Alternative forms
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 noun prefix.
Tumbuka
Etymology 1
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- 2nd person plural subject concord.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
- Class 3 noun prefix.
- Class 18 noun prefix.
Etymology 3
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ́-
Prefix
mu-
- Class 18 subject concord.
Derived terms
- mukaŵa (“there was”)
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 adjective concord.
- Class 18 adjective concord.
Venda
Etymology 1
From Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 noun prefix.
Etymology 2
From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 noun prefix.
Yao
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“2nd person plural subject concord”).
Prefix
mu-
- 2nd person plural subject concord.
References
- Rev. Alexander Hetherwick, M.A., F.R.G.S. (1902), A Handbook of the Yao Language[11], Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 32
- Meredith Sanderson, M.R.C.S., F.R.G.S., F.R.A.I. (1922), A Yao Grammar[12], Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 36
Zulu
Etymology 1
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 1 simple noun prefix.
Usage notes
The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.
Etymology 2
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mú-
Usage notes
The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.
Etymology 3
From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.
Prefix
mu-
- Class 3 simple noun prefix.
Usage notes
The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.
References
- C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “mu-”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “mu-”