5. CHANGES
There are two types of changes: vowel changes and sound changes.
VOWEL CHANGES
When two vowels are put next to each other in a word, vowel changes happen.
We can change, drop, or separate vowels.
We can change, drop, or separate vowels.
CHANGE
There are five vowels [A, E, I, O, U] and two semi-vowels [Y, W]
Let's call A, I, U primary vowels, and E, O are secondary vowels.
Just as primary colours are mixed to make secondary colours, we can join primary vowels to make secondary vowels.
We will look at an example of these vowel changes in the lesson on JOINING WORDS.
If U is added to a word that starts with A, E or O -- we change U to W.
If I is added to a word that starts with A, E or O -- we change I to Y.
What are you doing? -- u (you) + enzani (doing what) = wenzani?
DROP
We drop vowels if we add a prefix (that has more than one letter) to a root word that starts with A, E or O.
The last vowel of the prefix is dropped.
I am scared -- ngi (I) + esaba (scared) = ngesaba
The last vowel of the prefix is dropped.
I am scared -- ngi (I) + esaba (scared) = ngesaba
SEPARATE
We separate vowels with NG, W, or Y if the prefix and root word need to stay apart.
We are heroes -- si (we) + ng (are) + amaqhawe (heroes) = singamaqhawe
He/She is a nurse -- u (he/she) + ng/w (is) + unesi (a nurse) = ungunesi / uwunesi
They are doctors -- ba (they) + ng (are) + odokotela (doctors) = bangodokotela
I am a journalist/tattletale -- ngi (I) + y (am) + intatheli (journalist/gossip) = ngiyintatheli
In other words...
If the root word starts with A, U or O, we separate the prefix and root word with NG or W.
If the root word starts with I, we separate the prefix and root word with Y.
We are heroes -- si (we) + ng (are) + amaqhawe (heroes) = singamaqhawe
He/She is a nurse -- u (he/she) + ng/w (is) + unesi (a nurse) = ungunesi / uwunesi
They are doctors -- ba (they) + ng (are) + odokotela (doctors) = bangodokotela
I am a journalist/tattletale -- ngi (I) + y (am) + intatheli (journalist/gossip) = ngiyintatheli
In other words...
If the root word starts with A, U or O, we separate the prefix and root word with NG or W.
If the root word starts with I, we separate the prefix and root word with Y.
SOUND CHANGES
Sounds change within a word when we add something to the end of a word.
Here are some examples of suffixes, but we won't go into too much detail now - let's leave that for another lesson
on how to construct words and sentences:
If the last sound (before the last vowel) is MB, M, P, T, B or MP and we add a suffix to the end, these sounds will change.
If this all sounds complicated, just think of examples of when this happens in English. Such as when we add the letter E to the end
of a word, it often changes the sound of the nearest vowel:
Hat -- hate
It is a similar kind of concept in Zulu.
of a word, it often changes the sound of the nearest vowel:
Hat -- hate
It is a similar kind of concept in Zulu.