-na-

Appendix:Variations of "na" Chichewa Alternative forms ny -da- commonly used alternative Etymology Compare with tum -ka-. Infix ny infix -ná- Forms the past tense in verbs. Usage notes To indicate the recent past, the high tone is shifted off the tense marker to the next syllable. Prescriptive grammars state that only the form -na- can be used this way, not -da-. Among most speakers, -na- and -da- are in free variation. The form -da- is most common in Malawi's Central Region, and was formerly designated as the standard. Swahili Etymology From sw na -na, a stem of sw wa na -wa na to have.Carl Meinhof Grundzüge einer vergleichenden Grammatik der Bantusprachen Dietrich Reimer 1906 71 Pronunciation sw Sw-ke-na.flac Kenya Infix sw infix positive present tense marker sw wanakula they are eating sw in stative verbs inceptive aspect marker sw wanalala they are falling asleep sw Inakuwa baridi. It is getting cold. sw in second verb in a series marker of simultaneity sw -ki- sw after sw wa -wa continuous aspect marker sw nilikuwa ninaandika I was writing Usage notes This marker can be used in both nonrelative and relative verbs. Conjugation na See also References