Fangwa

Welcome to the page on the Fangwa Language. (OchiFangwa)

OchiFangwa is an a posteriori constructed Bantu Language based on a large number of these languages. The main sources are Swahili, Afrihili, Shona, Chichewa, Lingala, Tswana, Luganda, Xhosa and Zulu. This language draws a lot of its vocabulary from these sources, and the grammmar also has a strong Bantu influence. The basic order in a sentence is SVO and head initial. The stress is usually on the penultimate syllable. Vocabulary:

Vocabulary
ukogenda = to go; ukobona = to see; egimkono= the arm; egimpuno= the nose

ukopá = to give; -kulu = big/ great; egidziko = the kitchen; egijika = the spoon

ukocheka = to laugh; egiwavu = the net; egibarafo = the ice; ukosikia = to hear

umodzukala = grandchild; esiusagi = the hare; uko-imba= to sing; egisikio= ear

esinyondzi = bird; -naiba= beautiful; esikitsune = the fox; ukodota= to dream omandzi = the water; ubonto = humanity; esingeke = tilapia (a type of fish)

ukopeka = to cook; ukopenya = to love; ukosopa = to like; egiatu = the shoe;

ukotunda = to teach; umofazi = the woman; emuvoka = the pear, egimbedzi = the month

umogabo = man; ukosana = to drink ; ukosama = to find; eginyama = the meat; the animal

esingombe = the cow; esinkoko = the chicken; ukodzira = to wait; esidaubu = the bear

ukososoli = to understand; esinahashu =the snake; esisaru= the ape; -dzuri = good umowana = the child; umokama = the king; ukoladi = to ask; ukokimbia = to run

ukodyá = to eat; ukolala = to sleep; ukofale = to look; egieneche = the land;

esimbudzi = the goat; esinguruve = the pig ; egimeli = the boat; ukoadza= to begin

esimpaka = the cat; umokwetu = the friend; ukobadziri = to break; egilamba= the clothing

omangawa = the rain; ukojika = to close; ukowekwe = to speak; ukodzua = to know

ochiFangwa = the Fangwa Language ; ukotaya = to help; ukokabe = to advise

egikeni = the glas; ukobinda = to write; ukolomu = to enter; ukogula = to buy

ukofotokodza = to explain; egibisi = the office; ukobade = to divide; ukozunda = to hate

umotsikana = the girl; omadziwa = the milk ; esindzovu = the elephant; egiumba= the room ukofahamu = to understand; esitwiga = the giraffe; egikombe = the cup; egidzina = the name

umoru = the chief; egiature = the flower ; ukokute = to obey; ukofanya = to do;

egikaramu = the pen; egiadenle = the street; egitanda = the bed; ukojá = to come

umokulima = the farmer; ukolipa = to pay; ukopyoma = to read; egintu = the thing

esiawindzi = the sheep; esiura = the frog; egintoka = the car, umorume = the man ukobyada= to bear children (to be pregnant); egidzuwo = the sun; emuintore = the eggplant

ubomotlovo = the pride; egicho = the eye; umofazi umorebyada = the pregnant woman;

egiloba = the word; ukobere = to carry; egimbazi = moon; egidzuwa = the sun; egiupa = the bottle

Possesive pronouns
The possessive pronoun is formed by attaching the particle ye at the front of the pronoun, e.g. yende = my. The possessive pronoun comes after the noun. So yeu = your (sing); yea = his/her/it's; yetu =  our; yebu = your (plur); yeba = their

Grammar
Fangwa is basically a SVO (Subject Verb Object) Language. The verbs have five tense markers:

Examples

umolendzi umomepyoma egitabo

the boy has read the book Noun Classes:

OchiFangwa has a noun class system like a lot of Bantu languages, the classifier is a prefix that attaches to the noun. This classifying particle is also attached to the verb, adjectives, numerals that are governed by the noun. The particle has a long and a short form; the long form denotes definiteness: umo-wana = the child; the short form signals undefiniteness; mo-wana: a child.

The main noun classes are: umo/oba = (sing/plur) humans; egi-ebi = things; esi-bizi: animals; oma- : (singular) :only certain fluids e.g. omandzi (from oma-mandzi)= water; oma-ngawa = rain and oma-dziwa = milk; emu/emi = fruits/vegetables/plants; uko- = denotes verbs; ubo- : denotes abstact concepts.

There are some classes that are almost obsolete now: epi/eti = diminutive (humans): etinto-epinto = small man - small men and the augmentative (humans) : ago/adzo = agonto - adzonto = giant- giants.

These last two classes are being slowly incorporated into the umo/oba class: umotinto-obatinto = small man- small men. And umogonto- obagonto = giant- giants. The younger people only use the newer forms, elderly people can use both and in poetry the old forms are used. It looks like the old form will only be preserved in poetry and old texts.

Adjectives:

All adjectives follow their nouns: umowana umodzuri = the good child; mowana modzuri = a good child. The adjectives get the same prefixes as the corresponding nouns that they modify.

Negation
The negation of an action can be expressed in two ways: E.g.
 * 1) First you can add the prefix ka- to the verb.
 * 2) The second way is to put te after the verb. (strong negation)
 * 3) If you use both you get a very strong negation.

Numerals
Here are the numerals of Fangwa from 1 to 10, Fangwa uses a base 10.. These numerals take on the prefixes of the nouns they quantify.

The cardinal numerals also have a short form, eg: -bili kumi = 20; -bili keme= 200; ne kalo= 4000; -kenda fuku

= 9.000.000

The numerals always follow the noun that is counted with the corresponding prefix: abantu (a)babili= the two persons; bizinja bizisambo = the seven dogs; bitabo binane= eight books, bitabo bitoba = 6 books.

For numbers higher than 10 only the first part will take the prefix:

miti mikumi na ne= 14 trees

Ordinal numerals
Ordinal numrals are formed by putting the particle 'ye' in front of the number and after the noun it refers to, for example: "umogabo ye (u)momodzi" = the first man; "umotsikana ye (u)mobili" = the second girl; "esinkoko ye (e)sikenda" = the ninth chicken;

As for ordinal numbers higher then 10 the same rule applies as for cardinal numbers: only the first part gets the same prefix as the noun that refers to, for example: esimpaka ye (e)sikumi na sambo = the 19th cat

Months of the year
Gwadze = January

Raume = February

Nyobi = March

Foraiso = April

Hambali = May

Beali = June

Jovare= July

Shobu= August

Dwaro= September

Donsau= October

Vabwa= November

Mbanze = December

Colours
The names of the coulours are:

gedzane = green

mwodzano = yellow

nyokaudzo = red

nyosi = black

roendzi = orange

bwaleyo = blue

nyopfe = wit

fyadha = silver

dzohavo = gold

kawha = brown

dzovaro = purple

moriye = blue- green

ruonge = colour