-li-
See also: Appendix:Variations of "li"
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlɪ/
Infix
-li-
- (pharmacology) a shortened allomorph of the monoclonal antibody affix -lim-, used before the affixes -xi- and -zu- for ease of pronunciation
Derived terms
English terms interfixed with -li-
Anagrams
Swahili
Etymology 1
From -li, a stem of -wa (“to be”).[1]
Infix
-li-
- positive past tense marker
- Antonym: -ku-
- walikula ― they ate
- aliyelala ― the person who was asleep
- 1973, Mohammed S. Abdulla, Duniani kuna watu, page 3:
- Ilikuwa kiasi cha saa moja-unusu ya usiku Kasim alipopanda ngazi pana zilizotandikwa zulia au blanketi nene, zilizoongoza kufikia ghorofa akaayo baba yake, Bw. Hakimu Marjani.
- It was about half past seven in the night when Kasim went up the wide stairs covered with carpets or thick blankets, which led to the floor where resided his father, Mr Hakimu Marjani.
Usage notes
This marker can be used in both nonrelative and relative verbs.
Conjugation
| singular | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | nili- | tuli- | |
| 2nd person | uli- | mli- | |
| 3rd person |
m-wa(I/II) | ali- | wali- |
| m-mi(III/IV) | uli- | ili- | |
| ji-ma(V/VI) | lili- | yali- | |
| ki-vi(VII/VIII) | kili- | vili- | |
| n(IX/X) | ili- | zili- | |
| u(XI) | uli- | see n(X) or ma(VI) | |
| ku(XV/XVII) | kuli- | ||
| pa(XVI) | pali- | ||
| mu(XVIII) | mli- | ||
For more information, see Appendix:Swahili verbs.
See also
Swahili TAM markers
- Initial
- Final
- Infix position positive subject concord
- Positive past: -li-
- Positive present: -na-
- Positive future: -ta-
- Negative subjunctive: -si-1
- Positive present conditional: -nge-
- Negative present conditional: -singe-
- Positive past conditional: -ngali-
- Negative past conditional: -singali-
- Gnomic: -a-1
- Perfect: -me-
- "Already" past: -lisha-
- "Already" present: -mesha-/-sha-
- "If/When": -ki-1
- "If not": -sipo-
- Consecutive: -ka-1
- Infix position negative subject concord
- Relative
1 Can take stress and therefore does not require -ku-/-kw- in monosyllabic verbs.
Etymology 2
From Proto-Bantu *dɪ́-.
Infix
-li-
- it, ji class(V) object concord
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
References
- ^ John H. McWhorter (1992) “NI and the Copula System in Swahili: A Diachronic Approach”, in Diachronica, volume 9, number 1, , pages 15–46