Svngoku/luvila-kikongo-grammar · Datasets at Hugging Face

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When mpe is more especially connected with the Subject, the mpe follows the Subject, but after any Adjective qualifying the Noun ; but between the Noun and any Adjectival Clause.
E ngubà mpe, ke zisumbwanga diaka ko:
Ground-nuts also are no longer being bought.
E nzo akù mpe ividi:
Your house too is burnt.
Mama mpe bevanga:
These things, too, they will do.
Oyetò mpe, tuzolele wo:
We, too, like it.
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E nsusu zandi mpe, zina katwela, zabilama: His fowls, too, that he kept were very numerous.
When mpe more especially modifies a combination of the Demonstrative Pronoun with the Verbal Particle i, the mpe comes after the Subjective Personal Pronoun.
I
yandi mpe yuyu:
He it is too.
I wau mpe wuwu: So it is too.
I diau mpe didi:
This too is why.
Nkutu, diaka, kaka, aka.
The Adverbs nkutu, at all, even, indeed, on no account, never; diaka, again; kaka, and aka, only, always, when referring especially to the Verb or to its Object, follow immediately upon the Verb, the Objective Pronoun or mpe only being allowed to intervene.
Nkutu, kaka, and aka, may refer to the Subject ; only Adjectives may intervene. When referring to the Demonstrative Pronoun combined with i,it follows the Subjective Personal Pronoun. They sometimes modify other Adverbs, and accordingly follow immediately after them, if they precede the Verb.
Kunsimbi nkutu ko:
On no account touch me.
Ke tumwene kio nkutu ko:
We did not see it at all.
Wenda dio nata diaka:
Go and carry it again.
Sumba kaka masele mole:
Buy only two masele (fish).
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They are always trying to catch him.
Akaka nkutu babayambwidi bakota:
They even allowed other people to enter.
I yau kaka yaya bekwenda: Only these are to go. I wau mpe wuwu tuvovele:
And so we said.
Sa nkutu nwàmona:
Indeed you will soon see him.
Owau nkutu wizidi:
He is even now come.
Nkutu may come between the Auxiliary and its Verb.
Toma nkutu kunsimba:
Hold him indeed carefully.
On page 713 certain Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases are mentioned as preceding the Verb which they modify ; to those must be added i bosi, deke, kasikila, kosi, kole, nanga, nangi, nangu (perhaps), okalokala, e elelo, e ntete, se, sa, sanga, singa, oku kwakwiziwa, and other variations of that Adverb based on kwiziwa, kwendewa, and tukwa. Other Adverbs may precede the Verb when specially emphatic.
I
bosi tukwenda:
After that we will go.
E elelo nutungulukidi:
This time you have been found out.
150
Now it is time.
The general rule given on page 607, to the effect that the Particles of Negation include within them the clause to be negatived, needs only to be supplemented by the following remarks:---
When the Verbs kala or -ina, to be, are followed by the Particle VO, in such cases as those given below, or before combinations of the Locatives with -ina, the second Particle of Negation precedes the vo, or the Locative, as the case may be. The ko is sometimes heard at the end of the clause, but the rule above given is considered as more correct
Kufwila owu kena ko vo mwana ame:
Although he is my son.
Wau ke bena ko vo makangu mandi:
Since they are not his friends.
Kisamunwini muntu ko vovo nwina:
I did not tell one of you (lit. any man among you).
Ke mayikwanga nkutu ko vovo nwina:
Let them not even be mentioned among you.
ADVERBIAL CLAUSES POSITION OF COMPONENT PARTS.
Subordinate Clauses which are connected with the principal by wau, nna,ova, vava, yavana, wau kadi, kufwila owu...ko, and such Conjunctions, first state their own Subject, if there be a Noun or Pronoun as Subject ; then the Conjunction, then follows the rest of the sentence. It is sometimes more
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convenient to put the Subject in the emphatic position at the end of the sentence or clause.
O mfumu eto, wau kekwenda ko, omono mpe kikwenda kwame ko: Since that our chief is not going, I will not go. O Mpongi, kufwila own kele ko ko, kitwika kio ko: Although Mpongi has gone there, I will not send it.
E mvu makuimaya una milungidi:
When the forty years were complete.
Nsona, ovo ozolele wo; or, Ovo ozolele wo, o Nsona: If Nsona likes.
O Kipati, yavana kekwiza; or, Yavana kekwiza, o Kipati :
Until Kipati comes.
The rules of Syntax as to the Object are, in many respects, identical with those which govern the Subject, especially those which concern the Attributes.
The rules as to the presence or absence of the Article before the Object, will be found under " The Subject."
.
When the Object consists of two or more Nouns, the Objective Pronoun concords in number and class with the last-named Noun, if Pronoun is required at all.
O meza mame ye kiandu kiame nunata kio:
Carry my table and chair.
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E mpu ye vevo ke nusiai kio ko: Do not leave behind the hat and umbrella.
E mini yo mabindwa, o Mvemba wina mau:
Mvemba has the candle and matches.
When the Subject of the Verb is qualified by konso, each, every, and the Object by the Possessive Pronoun, the Object must be preceded by the Preposition ya, ye, or yo, with. The same rule prevails in English in the case of Intransitive Verbs, but not in the case of Transitives. It may be objected, however, that Intransitive Verbs have no Object, some further explanation of the preceding remark is therefore necessary.
In English an Intransitive Verb in combination with a Preposition may become a Transitive. To go is an Intransitive Verb, but by combination with the Preposition into (to gointo) it becomes a Transitive Verb, as its synonym, to enter. So we say in English:
They went in every man with his sword in his hand.
The English idiom admits then the usage of the Preposition with, in combination with what are otherwise Intransitive Verbs, when the subject of the Verb is qualified by each or every.
They came every man with his gun: i.e. Every man came-with his gun. We went away each of us with a new coat:
i.e. Each of us went-away-with a new coat.
No such combination is possible in English with Transitive Verbs; in the case of Transitives the with is omitted, thus:
They found every man his gun. We received each of us a new coat.
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In Kongo the Preposition ya, ye, or yo, with, has to appear, whether the Verb is Transitive or Intransitive, when the Subject is qualified by konso, and the Object by a Possessive Pronoun.
Bezidi kwau, konso muntu yo nkele andi: They came each man with his gun.
Tukatukidi kweto, konso muntu oku twina ye kinkutu kiampa: We went away each one of us with a new coat.
So far the Kongo and English idioms accord, the Verbs being Intransitive (apart from the combined Preposition with). The following sentences show the Kongo idiom retaining the Preposition after a Transitive Verb:
Basolwele konso muntu yo nkele andi:
They found each man his gun.
Tutanibwidi konso muntu oku twina ye kinkutu kiampa: We received each of us a new coat.
In Kongo, when such constructions occur, whether the Verb be Transitive or Intransitive, the Preposition ya, ye, or yo, with, must precede the Object; and whether or not there is a Possessive Pronoun, or an Indefinite Article in English, the Object is always qualified in Kongo by the Possessive Pronoun.
Nutwasa konso muntu ye mbele andi: Bring every man a knife.
Each of you mind his own business.
Nutala konso muntu yo mandi mambu:

When mpe is more especially connected with the Subject, the mpe follows the Subject, but after any Adjective qualifying the Noun ; but between the Noun and any Adjectival Clause.

E ngubà mpe, ke zisumbwanga diaka ko:

Ground-nuts also are no longer being bought.

E nzo akù mpe ividi:

Your house too is burnt.

Mama mpe bevanga:

These things, too, they will do.

Oyetò mpe, tuzolele wo:

We, too, like it.

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E nsusu zandi mpe, zina katwela, zabilama: His fowls, too, that he kept were very numerous.

When mpe more especially modifies a combination of the Demonstrative Pronoun with the Verbal Particle i, the mpe comes after the Subjective Personal Pronoun.

I

yandi mpe yuyu:

He it is too.

I wau mpe wuwu: So it is too.

I diau mpe didi:

This too is why.

Nkutu, diaka, kaka, aka.

The Adverbs nkutu, at all, even, indeed, on no account, never; diaka, again; kaka, and aka, only, always, when referring especially to the Verb or to its Object, follow immediately upon the Verb, the Objective Pronoun or mpe only being allowed to intervene.

Nkutu, kaka, and aka, may refer to the Subject ; only Adjectives may intervene. When referring to the Demonstrative Pronoun combined with i,it follows the Subjective Personal Pronoun. They sometimes modify other Adverbs, and accordingly follow immediately after them, if they precede the Verb.

Kunsimbi nkutu ko:

On no account touch me.

Ke tumwene kio nkutu ko:

We did not see it at all.

Wenda dio nata diaka:

Go and carry it again.

Sumba kaka masele mole:

Buy only two masele (fish).

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They are always trying to catch him.

Akaka nkutu babayambwidi bakota:

They even allowed other people to enter.

I yau kaka yaya bekwenda: Only these are to go. I wau mpe wuwu tuvovele:

And so we said.

Sa nkutu nwàmona:

Indeed you will soon see him.

Owau nkutu wizidi:

He is even now come.

Nkutu may come between the Auxiliary and its Verb.

Toma nkutu kunsimba:

Hold him indeed carefully.

On page 713 certain Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases are mentioned as preceding the Verb which they modify ; to those must be added i bosi, deke, kasikila, kosi, kole, nanga, nangi, nangu (perhaps), okalokala, e elelo, e ntete, se, sa, sanga, singa, oku kwakwiziwa, and other variations of that Adverb based on kwiziwa, kwendewa, and tukwa. Other Adverbs may precede the Verb when specially emphatic.

I

bosi tukwenda:

After that we will go.

E elelo nutungulukidi:

This time you have been found out.

150

Now it is time.

The general rule given on page 607, to the effect that the Particles of Negation include within them the clause to be negatived, needs only to be supplemented by the following remarks:---

When the Verbs kala or -ina, to be, are followed by the Particle VO, in such cases as those given below, or before combinations of the Locatives with -ina, the second Particle of Negation precedes the vo, or the Locative, as the case may be. The ko is sometimes heard at the end of the clause, but the rule above given is considered as more correct

Kufwila owu kena ko vo mwana ame:

Although he is my son.

Wau ke bena ko vo makangu mandi:

Since they are not his friends.

Kisamunwini muntu ko vovo nwina:

I did not tell one of you (lit. any man among you).

Ke mayikwanga nkutu ko vovo nwina:

Let them not even be mentioned among you.

ADVERBIAL CLAUSES POSITION OF COMPONENT PARTS.

Subordinate Clauses which are connected with the principal by wau, nna,ova, vava, yavana, wau kadi, kufwila owu...ko, and such Conjunctions, first state their own Subject, if there be a Noun or Pronoun as Subject ; then the Conjunction, then follows the rest of the sentence. It is sometimes more

151

convenient to put the Subject in the emphatic position at the end of the sentence or clause.

O mfumu eto, wau kekwenda ko, omono mpe kikwenda kwame ko: Since that our chief is not going, I will not go. O Mpongi, kufwila own kele ko ko, kitwika kio ko: Although Mpongi has gone there, I will not send it.

E mvu makuimaya una milungidi:

When the forty years were complete.

Nsona, ovo ozolele wo; or, Ovo ozolele wo, o Nsona: If Nsona likes.

O Kipati, yavana kekwiza; or, Yavana kekwiza, o Kipati :

Until Kipati comes.

The rules of Syntax as to the Object are, in many respects, identical with those which govern the Subject, especially those which concern the Attributes.

The rules as to the presence or absence of the Article before the Object, will be found under " The Subject."

.

When the Object consists of two or more Nouns, the Objective Pronoun concords in number and class with the last-named Noun, if Pronoun is required at all.

O meza mame ye kiandu kiame nunata kio:

Carry my table and chair.

152

E mpu ye vevo ke nusiai kio ko: Do not leave behind the hat and umbrella.

E mini yo mabindwa, o Mvemba wina mau:

Mvemba has the candle and matches.

When the Subject of the Verb is qualified by konso, each, every, and the Object by the Possessive Pronoun, the Object must be preceded by the Preposition ya, ye, or yo, with. The same rule prevails in English in the case of Intransitive Verbs, but not in the case of Transitives. It may be objected, however, that Intransitive Verbs have no Object, some further explanation of the preceding remark is therefore necessary.

In English an Intransitive Verb in combination with a Preposition may become a Transitive. To go is an Intransitive Verb, but by combination with the Preposition into (to gointo) it becomes a Transitive Verb, as its synonym, to enter. So we say in English:

They went in every man with his sword in his hand.

The English idiom admits then the usage of the Preposition with, in combination with what are otherwise Intransitive Verbs, when the subject of the Verb is qualified by each or every.

They came every man with his gun: i.e. Every man came-with his gun. We went away each of us with a new coat:

i.e. Each of us went-away-with a new coat.

No such combination is possible in English with Transitive Verbs; in the case of Transitives the with is omitted, thus:

They found every man his gun. We received each of us a new coat.

153

In Kongo the Preposition ya, ye, or yo, with, has to appear, whether the Verb is Transitive or Intransitive, when the Subject is qualified by konso, and the Object by a Possessive Pronoun.

Bezidi kwau, konso muntu yo nkele andi: They came each man with his gun.

Tukatukidi kweto, konso muntu oku twina ye kinkutu kiampa: We went away each one of us with a new coat.

So far the Kongo and English idioms accord, the Verbs being Intransitive (apart from the combined Preposition with). The following sentences show the Kongo idiom retaining the Preposition after a Transitive Verb:

Basolwele konso muntu yo nkele andi:

They found each man his gun.

Tutanibwidi konso muntu oku twina ye kinkutu kiampa: We received each of us a new coat.

In Kongo, when such constructions occur, whether the Verb be Transitive or Intransitive, the Preposition ya, ye, or yo, with, must precede the Object; and whether or not there is a Possessive Pronoun, or an Indefinite Article in English, the Object is always qualified in Kongo by the Possessive Pronoun.

Nutwasa konso muntu ye mbele andi: Bring every man a knife.

Each of you mind his own business.

Nutala konso muntu yo mandi mambu: