THE KI-SVVAHILI LANGUAGE 



possible exception sometimes of the words beginning with Ki- 

 or Ch-, and this only for the sake of euphony. 



The same is the case with the adjectives and prefixes to the 

 verbs. Take, for instance, the word for our large, -kuhwa; a 

 large man, mtu mkuhiva; a large knife, kisu kikuhwa; or take 

 the verb, kata, cut, for instance; he cuts is a-na-kata; it (the 

 knife) cuts, ki-na-kata. The Swahili will, however, understand 

 you equally well if you simply say kisu mkubiva a-na-kata, the 

 big knife cuts, instead of the correct kisu kikiibwa ki-na-kata. 



The following lessons will give this pidgin-Swahili as it is 

 mostly used in the " safari language " of the porters. This is 

 exactly what the hunter really needs and wants on his shooting 

 expedition, which he will enjoy twice as much, if he is able to 

 communicate directly with his own men, as well as with the 

 chieftains and guides from tribes which he may meet on his 

 inland expedition. Not only will he thus enjoy his outing more, 

 but is also much less apt to be deceived by his men and guides. 



After the lessons follows a key to the translations of the 

 different exercises, so that the reader will be able to determine 

 whether his own translations are correct or not. This key should 

 not be used, however, indiscriminately, but only after the student 

 has first written out his own translations of the different exer- 

 cises, both in English and Swahili. At the end is a vocabulary, 

 containing in alphabetical order all the words that have occurred 

 in the lessons, and a good many more. 



Lesson I 



1. The Swahili knows no articles whatever; mtu, therefore, 

 means man, as well as the man, or a man ; mtoto, a, or the child. 



2. The adjectives always follow the word they refer to, and 

 take different prefixes according to the eight different classes, 

 to which the noun may belong, but we will here treat them all 

 as belonging to the first class, that of the living beings. 



3. In the same way the personal prefixes, pronouns, and the 



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