ubani

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic لُبَان (lubān).

Pronunciation
  • Audio (Kenya)(file)

Noun

ubani (u class, no plural)

  1. incense (a perfume often used in the rites of various religions)
  2. a fee or payment, especially one made to a family that has experienced a death

Xhosa

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [úɓáːní]

Noun

úbání class 1a (plural óobání class 2a)

  1. who is (it)?
    Ubani lo mntu?
    Who is this person?
    Ungubani?
    Who are you?

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Zulu

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Probably uba/oba + -ni "what", but what is uba? u- (class 1a) + -ba "to be"?”)

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /úɓaːní/

Noun

úbaní class 1a (plural obani class 2a)

  1. who is (it)?
    Ubani lo muntu?
    Who is this person?
    Ungubani?
    Who are you?
    Ubani ongibize?
    Who called me?

Usage notes

Despite its meaning, this is grammatically a noun, and behaves as a noun in copulative sentences (it takes the ngu- copulative prefix). When a verb is added, the verb takes the relative concord rather than a subject concord, so that the combination Ubani ongibize? literally translates to Who is it who called me?.

Inflection
Class 1a/2a
Singular Plural
Full form ubani obani
Locative kubani kobani
Singular Plural
Full form ubani obani
Simple form bani bobani
Locative kubani kobani
Copulative ngubani ngobani
Possessive forms
Singular Plural
Modifier Substantive Modifier Substantive
Class 1 kabani okabani wobani owobani
Class 2 bakabani abakabani bobani abobani
Class 3 kabani okabani wobani owobani
Class 4 kabani ekabani yobani eyobani
Class 5 likabani elikabani lobani elobani
Class 6 kabani akabani obani awobani
Class 7 sikabani esikabani sobani esobani
Class 8 zikabani ezikabani zobani ezobani
Class 9 kabani ekabani yobani eyobani
Class 10 zikabani ezikabani zobani ezobani
Class 11 lukabani olukabani lobani olobani
Class 14 bukabani obukabani bobani obobani
Class 15 kukabani okukabani kobani okobani
Class 17 kukabani okukabani kobani okobani

References
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