lemaa

Swahili

Etymology

Likely related to kilema, borrowed from Arabic كِلَام (kilām), plural of كَلْم (kalm, “bite, cut”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Verb

-lemaa (infinitive kulemaa)

1. to be crippled or disabled

Conjugation

Conjugation of -lemaa
Positive present -nalemaa Subjunctive -lemae Negative -lemai Imperative singular lemaa
Infinitives
Positive kulemaa Negative kutolemaa
Imperatives
Singular lemaa Plural lemaeni
Tensed forms
Habitual hulemaa Positive past positive subject concord + -lilemaa Negative past negative subject concord + -kulemaa
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nalemaa) Singular Plural 1st person ninalemaa/nalemaa tunalemaa 2nd person unalemaa mnalemaa 3rd person m-wa(I/II) analemaa wanalemaa other classes positive subject concord + -nalemaa
Negative present (negative subject concord + -lemai) Singular Plural 1st person silemai hatulemai 2nd person hulemai hamlemai 3rd person m-wa(I/II) halemai hawalemai other classes negative subject concord + -lemai
Positive future positive subject concord + -talemaa Negative future negative subject concord + -talemaa
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -lemae) Singular Plural 1st person nilemae tulemae 2nd person ulemae mlemae 3rd person m-wa(I/II) alemae walemae other classes positive subject concord + -lemae
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -silemae Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngelemaa Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singelemaa Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalilemaa Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalilemaa
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -alemaa) Singular Plural 1st person nalemaa twalemaa 2nd person walemaa mwalemaa 3rd person m-wa(I/II) alemaa walemaa m-mi(III/IV) walemaa yalemaa ji-ma(V/VI) lalemaa yalemaa ki-vi(VII/VIII) chalemaa vyalemaa n(IX/X) yalemaa zalemaa u(XI) walemaa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwalemaa pa(XVI) palemaa mu(XVIII) mwalemaa
Perfect positive subject concord + -melemaa "Already" positive subject concord + -meshalemaa "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jalemaa "If/When" positive subject concord + -kilemaa "If not" positive subject concord + -sipolemaa Consecutive kalemaa / positive subject concord + -kalemaa Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kalemae
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nilemaa -tulemaa 2nd person -kulemaa -walemaa/-kulemaeni/-walemaeni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mlemaa -walemaa m-mi(III/IV) -ulemaa -ilemaa ji-ma(V/VI) -lilemaa -yalemaa ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kilemaa -vilemaa n(IX/X) -ilemaa -zilemaa u(XI) -ulemaa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kulemaa pa(XVI) -palemaa mu(XVIII) -mulemaa Reflexive -jilemaa
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -lemaa- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -lemaaye -lemaao m-mi(III/IV) -lemaao -lemaayo ji-ma(V/VI) -lemaalo -lemaayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -lemaacho -lemaavyo n(IX/X) -lemaayo -lemaazo u(XI) -lemaao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -lemaako pa(XVI) -lemaapo mu(XVIII) -lemaamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -lemaa) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yelemaa -olemaa m-mi(III/IV) -olemaa -yolemaa ji-ma(V/VI) -lolemaa -yolemaa ki-vi(VII/VIII) -cholemaa -vyolemaa n(IX/X) -yolemaa -zolemaa u(XI) -olemaa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kolemaa pa(XVI) -polemaa mu(XVIII) -molemaa
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:
  • Causative: -lemaza (“to disable or cripple”)

• Nominal derivations:
  • mlemavu (“disabled person”)
  • ulemavu (“disability”)