uMbaso

Zulu

Alternative forms

• uMbasa

Etymology

From um- (class 3) +‎ -basa (“kindle a fire”) +‎ -o (nominalizer). May refer to the first fires being lit for winter. However, this time of year is still very hot in KwaZulu-Natal. Another theory is that it refers to the time of year when fires are lit to roast maize.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /uḿ̩.ɓaːso/

Noun

uḾbaso class 1a (plural oMbaso class 2a)

1. April

   Synonym: u-Ephreli

2. the ninth month of the Zulu lunar calendar, beginning with the new moon around the end of February or the beginning of March

Inflection

Class 1a/2a (locative kuMbaso)

	singular		plural
full form	uMbaso		oMbaso
simple form	Mbaso		boMbaso
locative	kuMbaso		koMbaso
copulative	nguMbaso		ngoMbaso
Possessive forms
	singular		plural
	modifier	substantive	modifier	substantive
class 1	kaMbaso	okaMbaso	woMbaso	owoMbaso
class 2	bakaMbaso	abakaMbaso	boMbaso	aboMbaso
class 3	kaMbaso	okaMbaso	woMbaso	owoMbaso
class 4	kaMbaso	ekaMbaso	yoMbaso	eyoMbaso
class 5	likaMbaso	elikaMbaso	loMbaso	eloMbaso
class 6	kaMbaso	akaMbaso	oMbaso	awoMbaso
class 7	sikaMbaso	esikaMbaso	soMbaso	esoMbaso
class 8	zikaMbaso	ezikaMbaso	zoMbaso	ezoMbaso
class 9	kaMbaso	ekaMbaso	yoMbaso	eyoMbaso
class 10	zikaMbaso	ezikaMbaso	zoMbaso	ezoMbaso
class 11	lukaMbaso	olukaMbaso	loMbaso	oloMbaso
class 14	bukaMbaso	obukaMbaso	boMbaso	oboMbaso
class 15	kukaMbaso	okukaMbaso	koMbaso	okoMbaso
class 17	kukaMbaso	okukaMbaso	koMbaso	okoMbaso

References

• C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “-ɓaso”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ɓaso (2.2.9.9)”
• Koopman, Adrian (2002) Andrea Nattrass, editor, Zulu Names, Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press