Mwanzoni mwa mkutano, katibu alitoa maelezo muhimu.

important

Breakdown of Mwanzoni mwa mkutano, katibu alitoa maelezo muhimu.

• mkutano: the meeting
• kutoa: to give
• katibu: the secretary

Questions & Answers about Mwanzoni mwa mkutano, katibu alitoa maelezo muhimu.

How is Mwanzoni formed?

Mwanzoni comes from mwanzo meaning beginning plus the locative ending -ni, which often adds a sense like in, at, or on.

So:

• mwanzo = beginning
• mwanzoni = at/in the beginning

In this sentence, it helps express at the beginning.

Why is there mwa in mwanzoni mwa mkutano?

Mwa is a linking word, often functioning like of in English.

So:

• mwanzoni mwa mkutano = at the beginning of the meeting

Swahili does not use one single unchanging word for of. The form of this linker changes depending on the grammar of the noun that follows. In this common expression, mwa is the correct form.

For a learner, it is very useful to remember mwanzoni mwa... as a chunk meaning at the beginning of....

Why doesn’t Swahili use a separate word for at here?