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Observations on Normal Classes in Bantu Languages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Malcolm Guthrie
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Extract

Since Bleek first introduced the method of classifying nominals in Bantu languages by means of their concord prefixes, and of assigning a number to each class so constituted, this has been the accepted practice in Bantu linguistic studies.

The numbering of the classes is, however, more precisely a means of labelling the different sets of concord prefixes that operate the grammatical agreement in any given language. Nevertheless, as it is in one type of word only, the independent nominal, that the class is an integral characteristic of the word, it is in respect to these nominals that the assorting into classes is important.

Type
Articles
Information
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , October 1956 , pp. 545 - 555
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1956

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References

page 545 note 1In order to enable the languages mentioned to be identified, index numbers are shown after the name of each language, which are based on those given in my Classification of the Bantu languages, with certain modifications. For Zones A and B the index numbers have been completely revised and are taken from my Bantu languages of Western Equatorial Africa. Zones S and T have also been grouped together so that T.10 becomes S.10; S.10, 20, and 30 are now S.20, 30, and 40; while T.20 and 30 are S.50 and 60 respectively.

page 554 note 1For an explanation of this term see my article ‘Gender, number and person in Bantu languages’, BSOAS, XII, 3 and 4, 1948, 847–56.Google Scholar

page 554 note 2A cedilla under a consonant character is used to indicate a dental articulation.