Shona Noun Classes & Concord Agreement.

Noun Class
No.
1

Noun
prefix
mu

1a
2
2a

va
va

2b

SCd

Scd
past

OCd

Poss.
marker

Poss. stem

Noun examples

a-

a-; wa-

-mu-

wa-

-ke; -kwe

musikana

a-, u

a-

-mu-

wa-

-ke

tezvara

va-

va-

-va-

va-

-vo

va-

va-

-va-

va-

-vo

vasikana
vatezvara

va-

va-

-va-

va-

-vo

amai

mu

u-

wa-

-u-

wa-

-wo

muti

mi

i-

ya-

-i-

ya-

-yo

miti

ri

ri-

ra-

-ri-

ra-

-ro

ruva

6
7

ma
chi

a-

a-

-a-

a-

-wo

chi-

cha-

-chi-

cha-

-cho

maruva
chikoro

zvi

zvi-

zva-

-zvi-

zva-

-zvo

zvikoro

i-

ya-

-i-

ya-

-yo

imba

10

dzi

dzi-

dza-

-dzi-

dza-

-dzo

dzimba

11

ru

ru-

rwa-

-ru-

rwa-

-rwo

rubatsiro

12
13

ka
tu

ka-

ka-

-ka-

ka-

-ko

tu-

twa-

-tu-

twa-

-two

kakomana
tukomana

14

hu-

hwa-

-hu-

hwa-

-hwo

utunga

15

ku

ku-

kwa-

-ku-

kwa-

-ko

kudya

16

pa

pa-

pa-

-pa-

pa-

-po

pamberi

17

ku

ku-

kwa-

-ku-

kwa-

-ko

kunhu

17a
18

ku
mu

ku-

kwa-

-ku-

kwa-

-ko

mu-

ma-

-mu-

ma-

-mo

mhiri
mukati

19

svi

svi-

sva-

-svi-

sva-

-svo

svi

21

zi

ri-

ra-

-ri-

ra-

-ro

zambanenje

References

Hannan, M. S.J. (1987). Standard Shona Dictionary, Harare: The College Press.

http://vashona.com/en/pages/shona-noun-classes.html (accessed on 03.12.2016, time 19:52)