eleza

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

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Verb

-eleza (infinitive kueleza)

1. Causative form of -elea: to explain, clarify
   • 18th century, Abdallah bin Ali bin Nasir, Al-Inkishafi‎^[1], translation from R. Allen (1946) “Inkishafi—a translation from the Swahili”, in African Studies, volume 5, number 4, →DOI, pages 243–249, stanza 11:

     هُنِلِزِ نَمِ كَلِ بَيْنِ ، لِوَاپُ نَسُرَ نِسِ كَتَيْ

     Hunelezi nami kali baini, liwapo na-sura nisi katae.

     Can't you tell it me plainly that I may admit it?

Conjugation

Conjugation of -eleza
Positive present -naeleza Subjunctive -eleze Negative -elezi Imperative singular eleza
Infinitives
Positive kueleza Negative kutoeleza
Imperatives
Singular eleza Plural elezeni
Tensed forms
Habitual hueleza Positive past positive subject concord + -lieleza Negative past negative subject concord + -kueleza
Positive present (positive subject concord + -naeleza) Singular Plural 1st person ninaeleza/naeleza tunaeleza 2nd person unaeleza mnaeleza 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anaeleza wanaeleza other classes positive subject concord + -naeleza
Negative present (negative subject concord + -elezi) Singular Plural 1st person sielezi hatuelezi 2nd person huelezi hamwelezi 3rd person m-wa(I/II) haelezi hawaelezi other classes negative subject concord + -elezi
Positive future positive subject concord + -taeleza Negative future negative subject concord + -taeleza
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -eleze) Singular Plural 1st person nieleze tueleze 2nd person ueleze mweleze 3rd person m-wa(I/II) aeleze waeleze other classes positive subject concord + -eleze
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sieleze Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngeeleza Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singeeleza Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalieleza Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalieleza
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -aeleza) Singular Plural 1st person naeleza twaeleza 2nd person waeleza mwaeleza 3rd person m-wa(I/II) aeleza waeleza m-mi(III/IV) waeleza yaeleza ji-ma(V/VI) laeleza yaeleza ki-vi(VII/VIII) chaeleza vyaeleza n(IX/X) yaeleza zaeleza u(XI) waeleza see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwaeleza pa(XVI) paeleza mu(XVIII) mwaeleza
Perfect positive subject concord + -meeleza "Already" positive subject concord + -meshaeleza "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jaeleza "If/When" positive subject concord + -kieleza "If not" positive subject concord + -sipoeleza Consecutive kaeleza / positive subject concord + -kaeleza Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kaeleze
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nieleza -tueleza 2nd person -kueleza -waeleza/-kuelezeni/-waelezeni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mweleza -waeleza m-mi(III/IV) -ueleza -ieleza ji-ma(V/VI) -lieleza -yaeleza ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kieleza -vieleza n(IX/X) -ieleza -zieleza u(XI) -ueleza see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kueleza pa(XVI) -paeleza mu(XVIII) -mueleza Reflexive -jieleza
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -eleza- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -elezaye -elezao m-mi(III/IV) -elezao -elezayo ji-ma(V/VI) -elezalo -elezayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -elezacho -elezavyo n(IX/X) -elezayo -elezazo u(XI) -elezao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -elezako pa(XVI) -elezapo mu(XVIII) -elezamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -eleza) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yeeleza -oeleza m-mi(III/IV) -oeleza -yoeleza ji-ma(V/VI) -loeleza -yoeleza ki-vi(VII/VIII) -choeleza -vyoeleza n(IX/X) -yoeleza -zoeleza u(XI) -oeleza see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -koeleza pa(XVI) -poeleza mu(XVIII) -moeleza
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Applicative: -elezea (“explain for, narrate”)
  • Passive: -elezwa
  • Stative: -elezeka (“explainable”)

• Nominal derivations:
  • elezo (“explanation, description”)