Swahili
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Arabic أَلَّفَ (ʔallafa).
Verb
-alifu (infinitive kualifu)
- to write a text
Conjugation
| Conjugation of -alifu
|
| Positive present
|
-naalifu
|
| Subjunctive
|
-alifu
|
| Negative
|
-alifu
|
| Imperative singular
|
alifu
|
|
| Infinitives
|
| Positive
|
kualifu
|
| Negative
|
kutoalifu
|
|
| Imperatives
|
| Singular
|
alifu
|
| Plural
|
alifuni
|
|
| Tensed forms
|
| Habitual
|
hualifu
|
| Positive past
|
positive subject concord + -lialifu
|
| Negative past
|
negative subject concord + -kualifu
|
|
| Positive present (positive subject concord + -naalifu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
ninaalifu/naalifu
|
tunaalifu
|
| 2nd person
|
unaalifu
|
mnaalifu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
anaalifu
|
wanaalifu
|
| other classes
|
positive subject concord + -naalifu
|
|
| Negative present (negative subject concord + -alifu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
sialifu
|
hatualifu
|
| 2nd person
|
hualifu
|
hamwalifu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
haalifu
|
hawaalifu
|
| other classes
|
negative subject concord + -alifu
|
|
| Positive future
|
positive subject concord + -taalifu
|
| Negative future
|
negative subject concord + -taalifu
|
|
| Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -alifu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
nialifu
|
tualifu
|
| 2nd person
|
ualifu
|
mwalifu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
aalifu
|
waalifu
|
| other classes
|
positive subject concord + -alifu
|
|
| Negative subjunctive
|
positive subject concord + -sialifu
|
| Positive present conditional
|
positive subject concord + -ngealifu
|
| Negative present conditional
|
positive subject concord + -singealifu
|
| Positive past conditional
|
positive subject concord + -ngalialifu
|
| Negative past conditional
|
positive subject concord + -singalialifu
|
|
| Gnomic (positive subject concord + -aalifu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
naalifu
|
twaalifu
|
| 2nd person
|
waalifu
|
mwaalifu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
aalifu
|
waalifu
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
waalifu
|
yaalifu
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
laalifu
|
yaalifu
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
chaalifu
|
vyaalifu
|
| n(IX/X)
|
yaalifu
|
zaalifu
|
| u(XI)
|
waalifu
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
kwaalifu
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
paalifu
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
mwaalifu
|
|
|
| Perfect
|
positive subject concord + -mealifu
|
| "Already"
|
positive subject concord + -meshaalifu
|
| "Not yet"
|
negative subject concord + -jaalifu
|
| "If/When"
|
positive subject concord + -kialifu
|
| "If not"
|
positive subject concord + -sipoalifu
|
| Consecutive
|
kaalifu / positive subject concord + -kaalifu
|
| Consecutive subjunctive
|
positive subject concord + -kaalifu
|
|
| Object concord (indicative positive)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
-nialifu
|
-tualifu
|
| 2nd person
|
-kualifu
|
-waalifu/-kualifuni/-waalifuni
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
-mwalifu
|
-waalifu
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-ualifu
|
-ialifu
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-lialifu
|
-yaalifu
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-kialifu
|
-vialifu
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-ialifu
|
-zialifu
|
| u(XI)
|
-ualifu
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-kualifu
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-paalifu
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-mualifu
|
|
| Reflexive
|
-jialifu
|
|
| Relative forms
|
| General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -alifu- + relative marker)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| m-wa(I/II)
|
-alifuye
|
-alifuo
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-alifuo
|
-alifuyo
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-alifulo
|
-alifuyo
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-alifucho
|
-alifuvyo
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-alifuyo
|
-alifuzo
|
| u(XI)
|
-alifuo
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-alifuko
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-alifupo
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-alifumo
|
|
|
| Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -alifu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| m-wa(I/II)
|
-yealifu
|
-oalifu
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-oalifu
|
-yoalifu
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-loalifu
|
-yoalifu
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-choalifu
|
-vyoalifu
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-yoalifu
|
-zoalifu
|
| u(XI)
|
-oalifu
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-koalifu
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-poalifu
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-moalifu
|
|
|
|
| Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.
|
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Arabic أَلِف (ʔalif).[1]
Noun
alifu class IX (plural alifu class X)
- alif (the first letter of the Arabic alphabet)
References
- ^ Baldi, Sergio (30 November 2020) Dictionary of Arabic Loanwords in the Languages of Central and East Africa (Handbuch der Orientalistik; Erste Abteilung: Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten; 145), Leiden • Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 15 Nr. 82