Page:Adapting and Writing Language Lessons.pdf/278

Rh 1/ The most common type of sentence in Swahili contains an 'inflected verb phrase.' This phrase may consist of a single verb (par. 29 - 35), or of two verbs (par. 68 - 69).

2/ The sentence may or may not contain a subject expression, 3/ and it may or may not contain object expressions. 4/ It may also contain references to time, manner, etc., but these will give the learner relatively little difficulty.

5/ The parts of Swahili grammar that require most effort from speakers of European languages are (1) the requirements of 'concord' which exist between nouns and other words (including verbs) that are related to them in the sentence, and (2) the internal structure of the verb phrase. 'Concord' is treated in sections 17 - 26 of this synopsis; the verb phrase is covered in sections 28 - 70.

6/ Historically, the concord system is basically alliterative; that is, the same prefix is repeated with all of a set of words that are in agreement with each other. On this basis nouns are divided into a number of 'classes.' The alliterative relationship still shows up clearly in one of the noun classes. 7/ In most classes, however, sound changes that have taken place over the centuries have obscured the alliteration, and made the picture more confusing,

8/ All nouns in the MU-WA class stand for people. All verb infinitives (par. 48f) have the prefix : and take concords of the KU class. Almost all members of the U class are abstract nouns with no plural, but some nouns in this class stand for concrete objects and have plurals in the N class. 9/ None of the other classes has any obvious overall meaning, although certain tendencies are worth remembering. 10/ Diminutive nouns are sometimes in the KI—VI class, and