Chapter XX: Appendix

The Kaffir words given below may be useful to enable some visitor to South Africa to make known to the Kaffirs a few of his wants.

I will not vouch for the correctness of the grammar of which I have made use, but the Kaffirs will understand what may be required from even these sentences.

Each word ought to be pronounced as it is written, the last syllable but one being always rested on longer than the others. The _a_, _e_, and _i_, are pronounced as in French. The plural is in general formed by prefixing _ama_, and dropping in some cases the first syllable; as, _indoda_, a man; _amadoda_, men; _ihashi_, a horse; _amahaski_, horses. The numerals are more easily explained by holding up the fingers,--_shumi_ being ten; _amashumi_, tens. Thirty would be explained as tens, three, _amashumi m'tatu_, or by opening and shutting the hands three times.

The click which is used, by the Kaffirs need not be attempted by the beginner in the language,--there are so very few words which require the click, and these few are quite easily understood without it. The ambitious linguist frequently renders himself quite unintelligible to a Kaffir, in consequence of clicking with every word, whether this click is required or not. It is far better to pronounce distinctly the simple word, than to attempt to adorn it by a performance which, as I have before remarked, cannot be perfectly accomplished until the individual has lost nearly all his teeth.

To any person who may wish to advance in the Kaffir language I submit a conjugated verb as a model; but I generally found that _ile_, placed at the end of the infinitive mood, was quite understood by the Kaffirs for the past tense: as, _uku hamba_, to go; _hambile_, gone; _tanda_, to love; _tandile_, have loved, etc.

UKUPOZA, TO DRINK.

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

+ Y + Y + Y + Y + Y + Y + Y + Y + Y +

A verb receives a prefix corresponding with the first letter or syllable of its nominative; as, _Poza_, to drink; _Inja ipoza_, the dog drinks.

The adjectives and adverbs undergo the same variations, partaking of the prefixes of the substantives with which they may be conjoined; the nouns form diminutives, thus:--

Indoda, a man.
Intombi, a maid.
Indodana, a little man.
Intombazana, a little girl.
Inkozi, a chief.
Inkosana, a young chief, or a little chief.
Di, I.
Wena, you.
Yena, he.
Tina, we.
Zona, they.
Carbo _or_ Hi, no.
Er wer _or_ Tar bo, yes.
Saca bona, a salutation (Good morning).
Hambani gathly or Solaguthly, Good bye.
Uya pina? Where are you going?
On vel api? Where have you come from!
Uku nika, to give.
Uku hamba, to go.
Uku yenza, to do.
Uku zapa, to come.
Uku biza, to call.
Uku poza, to drink.
Uku zisa, to bring.
Uku ejla, to eat.
Uku funa, to want.
Uku bona, to see.
Uku eswa, to hear.
Uku tanda, to like.
Uku sika, to cut.
Uku hlanza, to clean.
Uku landela, to follow.
Uku tenga, to buy.
Uku zingela, to hunt.
Uku sebenza, to work.
Uku kuluma, to talk.
Uku quela, to ride.
Indoda, a man.
Umfazi, a woman.
Injlu, a house.
Amanzi, water.
Umlilo, fire.
Muti, a tree, or medicine.
Injlovu, an elephant.
Imvubu, a hippopotamus.
Inyati or Inthumba, a buffalo.
Impophu, an eland.
Umsiki, a reitbok.
Impenzi, a duiker.
Ihashi, a horse.
Inja, a dog.
Imfena, a baboon.
Inkau, a monkey.
Ingwenie, an alligator.
Inklanzi, a fish.
Inyoni, a bird.
Inyamazan, small game or bucks.
Lenjlela, a road or path.
Namhla, to-day.
Izolo, yesterday.
Goomso, to-morrow.
Goomso futi, to-morrow again, the day after to-morrow.
Futi, again.
Izolo futi, the day before yesterday.
Umlungo, a white man.
Isibum, a gun.
Umcizi, powder.
Inyozi, honey.
N'wela, a waggon.
Umculu, great.
N'cani, little.
Cachema, fast.
Gathly, slow.
Ubisi, sweet milk.
Amasi, sour milk.
Bulala, to wound or shoot.
Ipe, where.
Kona, there.
Pezulu, up or above.
Imazi, a cow.
Pantsi, below or down.
Inyoka, a snake.
E'am, mine.
Incwade, a written letter or note.
E'arko, yours.
M'nyama, black.
Egwi, snuff.
M'lope, white.
Ilanga, the sun.
Ebomvu, red.
Inyanga, the moon, a month.
Inkomo, cattle.
Immali, money.

By joining some of these words together may be formed many useful sentences; thus:--

Yenza umlilo, Make a fire.
Ziza amanzi nami, Bring water to me.
Dia funa ihashi am, I want my horse.
Dia funa uku zingela ama injlovu, I want to hunt elephants.
Mauzapa nami goomso uku sebenza, Come to me to-morrow to work.
Dia funa uku tenga zinkomo, I want to buy cattle.
Mongapi? How many?
Ishumi, Ten.
Ubanina? What is the name of?
Ubanina amasondo le? What is the name of these footmarks?
Engazi, I don't know.
Chela mena, Tell me.
E-zapa wena, Come here you.
Hamba kona, Go there.