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Questions & Answers about Kando ya barabara, watoto walijenga hema dogo juu ya mchanga ili wajilinde na jua.
What does Kando ya barabara mean and how is it constructed?
It literally means “the side of the road,” but as a set phrase “kando ya” functions like “beside” or “along.” Here kando (class 9 noun ‘side’) is linked by ya (the class 9/10 genitive concord) to barabara (‘road’).
Why is ya used after kando and not wa?
Genitive concords must agree with the noun class of the head noun. Kando belongs to noun class 9, whose genitive prefix is ya. (Class 1/2, for example, would use wa.)
What tense, aspect, and subject does walijenga indicate, and how is the verb formed?
Walijenga is past tense, indicative, third-person plural of -jenga (‘to build’). Breakdown:
• wa- = 3 pl. subject marker (for watoto)
• -li- = past tense marker
• jenga = verb stem
→ walijenga = “they built.”
Why is the adjective dogo unprefixed and placed after hema, instead of ndogo hema?
Swahili descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun. Dogo carries the silent class 9/10 prefix i-, so i-dogo surfaces simply as dogo. Hence hema dogo = “small tent.”
How does juu ya mchanga work, and what does it mean?
Juu means “top” or “above” and is a class 9 noun, so its genitive concord is ya. It links to mchanga (“sand”). Together juu ya mchanga = “on top of the sand.”
What role does ili play in ili wajilinde na jua?
Ili introduces a purpose clause, equivalent to “so that” or “in order to.”
Why is wajilinde in the subjunctive rather than the past or infinitive, and what is its breakdown?
Purpose clauses with ili require the subjunctive mood, marked by the final -e. Breakdown:
• wa- = 3 pl. subject marker (for watoto)
• no tense marker (the subjunctive drops the tense prefix)
• ji- = reflexive (“oneself”)
• lind = stem “protect”
• -e = subjunctive ending
→ wajilinde = “they protect themselves.”
What is the function of ji in wajilinde?
Ji- is the reflexive prefix, so linda (“protect”) + ji- (“oneself”) = kujilinda, “to protect oneself.”
Why is na used before jua, and what nuance does it add here?
In contexts of protection or avoidance, na can mean “from” or “against.” Thus wajilinde na jua means “they protect themselves from (or against) the sun.”
How can you tell that watoto (the children) is the subject of both walijenga and wajilinde?
Both verbs begin with the subject-marker wa-, which corresponds to the plural of mtoto (“child”). That prefix signals “they,” linking the actions back to watoto.