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Tawi hilo lilikatwa na wakulima, na mzinga utahamishwa salama.

Tawi hilo lilikatwa na wakulima, na mzinga utahamishwa salama.
That branch was cut by farmers, and the hive will be relocated safely.
FromLesson 27inHardcore Swahili
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Questions & Answers about Tawi hilo lilikatwa na wakulima, na mzinga utahamishwa salama.

What does tawi mean in this sentence?
Here tawi means branch, referring to a tree branch (or by extension a branch of an organization). In the sentence it’s talking about that branch being cut.
Why is it tawi hilo instead of just tawi?
hilo is a demonstrative meaning that. Swahili places the demonstrative after the noun, so tawi hilo literally is branch that = that branch.
Why are there two li- prefixes in lili-katwa?
The first li- is the past-tense marker, and the second li- is the subject-marker for noun class 5 (the class of tawi). Put together, li-li-katwa = it was cut.
What does the suffix -wa in katwa represent?
-wa is the passive-voice suffix. It turns the active verb kata (to cut) into katwa (to be cut).
How do we know na wakulima means by the farmers and not and the farmers?
In passive constructions, Swahili uses na to introduce the agent (the “by…” phrase). When na follows a passive verb and is joined with a noun, it means by [that noun]. As a conjunction (“and”), na would simply link two elements (e.g. mbao na kikombe = a board and a cup).
What is happening in mzinga utahamishwa? Why u- and -ishwa?
mzinga is “cannon” (noun class 3). The u- is the class 3 subject marker. The verb root taham (to move; relocate) takes the passive suffix -ishwa. So u-taham-ishwa = it is relocated (the cannon is moved).
Does salama act as an adjective or an adverb here?
In this context, salama means safely, functioning as an adverb to describe how the cannon is moved. Swahili uses the same form for both safe and safely, relying on context to tell the difference.