ubani
Swahili
Etymology
Borrowed from Arabic لُبَان (lubān).
Pronunciation
Audio (Kenya) (file)
Noun
ubani (u class, no plural)
- incense (a perfume often used in the rites of various religions)
- a fee or payment, especially one made to a family that has experienced a death
Xhosa
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [úɓáːní]
Noun
úbání class 1a (plural óobání class 2a)
- who is (it)?
- Ubani lo mntu?
- Who is this person?
- Ungubani?
- Who are you?
Inflection
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Zulu
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Probably uba/oba + -ni "what", but what is uba? u- (class 1a) + -ba "to be"?”)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /úɓaːní/
Noun
úbaní class 1a (plural obani class 2a)
- who is (it)?
- Ubani lo muntu?
- Who is this person?
- Ungubani?
- Who are you?
- Ubani ongibize?
- Who called me?
Usage notes
Despite its meaning, this is grammatically a noun, and behaves as a noun in copulative sentences (it takes the ngu- copulative prefix). When a verb is added, the verb takes the relative concord rather than a subject concord, so that the combination Ubani ongibize? literally translates to Who is it who called me?.
Inflection
| Class 1a/2a | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Full form | ubani | obani | ||
| Locative | kubani | kobani | ||
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Full form | ubani | obani | ||
| Simple form | bani | bobani | ||
| Locative | kubani | kobani | ||
| Copulative | ngubani | ngobani | ||
| Possessive forms | ||||
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Modifier | Substantive | Modifier | Substantive | |
| Class 1 | kabani | okabani | wobani | owobani |
| Class 2 | bakabani | abakabani | bobani | abobani |
| Class 3 | kabani | okabani | wobani | owobani |
| Class 4 | kabani | ekabani | yobani | eyobani |
| Class 5 | likabani | elikabani | lobani | elobani |
| Class 6 | kabani | akabani | obani | awobani |
| Class 7 | sikabani | esikabani | sobani | esobani |
| Class 8 | zikabani | ezikabani | zobani | ezobani |
| Class 9 | kabani | ekabani | yobani | eyobani |
| Class 10 | zikabani | ezikabani | zobani | ezobani |
| Class 11 | lukabani | olukabani | lobani | olobani |
| Class 14 | bukabani | obukabani | bobani | obobani |
| Class 15 | kukabani | okukabani | kobani | okobani |
| Class 17 | kukabani | okukabani | kobani | okobani |
References
- C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “-ɓani”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ɓani (2.4.3)”