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Breakdown of Baba alinunua ufagio mpya wa plastiki.
mpya
new
baba
the father
kununua
to buy
wa
of
plastiki
the plastic
ufagio
the broom
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Questions & Answers about Baba alinunua ufagio mpya wa plastiki.
What does Baba mean and what noun class is it in?
Baba means “father” or “dad.” It is a singular person noun in class 1, which typically takes the subject marker a- in verbs.
How is the verb alinunua constructed?
alinunua breaks down into three parts:
• a- (class 1 subject marker for Baba)
• -li- (past-tense marker)
• -nunua (verb root meaning “buy”)
Why does the verb contain those markers?
In Swahili, verbs agree with their subject and show tense by inserting prefixes before the root. Here, the class 1 subject marker a- and the past marker -li- together tell us “he (or she/it) bought.”
What does ufagio mean and what noun class does it belong to?
Ufagio means “broom.” It belongs to noun class 11, which typically has the singular prefix u- and forms its plural in class 6 as mafagio.
What is mpya and how does it agree with ufagio?
mpya means “new.” It is an adjective of the –a class, so it takes the noun’s class 11 concord u-. Phonological assimilation of u- + mpya gives mpya, so the phrase is ufagio mpya (“new broom”).
What is the function of wa in wa plastiki?
wa is the class 11 genitive connector (meaning “of”). It links ufagio mpya to plastiki, forming “broom of plastic” (i.e., “plastic broom”).
Why is plastiki unchanged and what noun class is it?
plastiki is a loanword from English and follows class 9/10 patterns, where singular and plural often look identical and there is no overt prefix. It stays plastiki in the genitive construction.
How would you say “Dads bought new plastic brooms” (plural)?
Pluralize each part by using class 6 for ufagio and adjusting concords:
• ufagio → mafagio (class 6 plural)
• mpya → mapya (class 6 adjective concord)
• wa → ya (class 6 genitive)
Result: Baba walinunua mafagio mapya ya plastiki.