Questions & Answers about Kitabu chake kiko mezani.
Why is chake used for his/her, and not a separate word like his or her?
In Swahili, possessives usually agree with the noun being possessed, not with the owner.
So in kitabu chake:
- kitabu = book
- -ake = his/her
- cha- = the agreement part used with the noun class of kitabu
Because kitabu belongs to the ki-/vi- noun class, the possessive takes the form chake.
So:
- kitabu chake = his book / her book
This is different from English, where his and her change based on the person, not on the noun type.
Does chake mean his or her?
It can mean either his or her.
Swahili often does not mark gender in third-person singular possessives. So chake does not tell you whether the owner is male or female. You understand that from context.
So kitabu chake can mean:
- his book
- her book
What does kiko mean here?