Xhosa Language - Linguistic Features

Linguistic Features

Xhosa is an agglutinative language featuring an array of prefixes and suffixes that are attached to root words. As in other Bantu languages, Xhosa nouns are classified into fifteen morphological classes (or genders), with different prefixes for singular and plural. Various parts of speech that qualify a noun must agree with the noun according to its gender. These agreements usually reflect part of the original class that it is agreeing with. Constituent word order is subject–verb–object.

Verbs are modified by affixes that mark subject, object, tense, aspect, and mood. The various parts of the sentence must agree in class and number.

Examples
ukudlala - to play
ukubona - to see
umntwana - a child
abantwana - children
umntwana uyadlala - the child plays
abantwana bayadlala - the children play
indoda - a man
amadoda - men
indoda iyambona umntwana - the man sees the child
amadoda ayababona abantwana - the men see the children

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