Tafadhali niletee uma mezani.

at

Breakdown of Tafadhali niletee uma mezani.

• meza: the table
• kuleta: to bring
• tafadhali: please

Questions & Answers about Tafadhali niletee uma mezani.

Can you break the sentence down word by word and explain the pieces?

• Tafadhali = please.
• ni- = object marker for “me.”
• letee = “bring for” (from leta “bring” + applicative -ea “for/to [someone]” + imperative/subjunctive final vowel -e; -ea
  • -e coalesces to -ee).
• uma = a fork.
• mezani = at/to the table (from meza “table” + locative suffix -ni).

So niletee literally means “bring-for-me,” and mezani locates the action at the table.

Why is it niletee and not nilete?

• nilete would make “me” the direct object (Bring me). You’d say that if you want someone to bring you (e.g., to another place): Nilete hapa = Bring me here.
• In this sentence, the fork is the thing being brought, and “me” is the beneficiary. That requires the applicative: letea → subjunctive/imperative letee. Hence ni-letee = “bring for me.”

Why are there two e’s in letee?

Because it’s the applicative -ea (“for/to someone”) plus the imperative/subjunctive final vowel -e. -ea + -e → -ee by vowel coalescence. So letea becomes letee in this form.