Chikongo

Mazwi Anotodza Shona

Izwi rokuti mwana (Child) ndiro rimwe kuShona neKikongo.
Izwi rokuti kudya kana kudia (to eat) rimwechete kuShona neKikongo.
Izwi rokuti kunwa (to drink) rimwechete kuShona neKikongo.
Kikongo inoti kwiza (to come) kureva kuuya. Kuza zvinoreva kuuuya muChiShona; sokuti Muzanebanga akauya nebanga.
Kikongo inoti kwenda (to go) kureva kuenda.
Kikongo inoti kubanda (to begin, to start) kureva kutanga. Fananidzai nezwi rokuti chipande.
Kikongo inoti nzila (path) kureva nzira.
Kikongo inoti muntu (person, someone) kureva munhu.
Kikongo inoti kuwa (to hear) kureva kunzwa kana kuhwa.
Kikongo inoti ndeke (bird) kureva shiri.
Kikongo inoti nkuni (wood) kureva huni.
Kikongo inoti mvula (rain) kureva kunaya kwemvura.
Kikongo inoti mvula (year) kureva gore.
Kikongo inoti tata (father) kureva baba.
Kikongo inoti insi (country, groud, under, below) kureva pasi.
Kikongo inoti nsinga (rope, cord) kureva tambo.
Kikongo inoti nene (large, big) kureva chikuru.
Kikongo inoti meza (table) kureva tafura.
Kikongo inoti kufwa (to die) kureva kufa.
Kikongo inoti fukama (kneel) kureva kupfugama.
Kikongo inoti mfumu (king) kureva mambo. Vanobva vati kimfumu (Kingdom).

Kikongo inoti kusala (to work, to do) kureva kushanda kana kuita. Vanoti kisalu (n. work, job).
Kikongo inoti kuzaba (to know) kureva kuziva.
Kikongo inoti lukaya kana makaya pakuwanda (leaf) kureva shizha.
Kikongo inoti mpangi (sibling) kureva mwananyina.
Kikongo inoti mbongo (money) kureva mari.
Kikongo inoti ndombe (black, negro) kureva munhu mutema.
Kikongo inoti ntalu (price, value, figure, number) kureva mutengo.
Kikongo inoti ngolo (hard, strong) kureva hukukutu.
Kikongo inoti zoba (stupid) kureva dununu.
Kikongo inoti mbote (good) kureva chakanaka.
Kikongo inoti zenga (decide).

Pano pari kutsanangurwa kuumbwa kwemazwi kubva pane mamwe mazwi kuchishandiswa zvivakashure Ki- kana U- pekutanga kwemazwi iwaya.

Ki prefix applied to nouns to express the abstract idea, office, condition or quality connected with them; equivalent to the English suffixes --ship, -ness and -dom etc. For example Ngulu (pig) forms the word kingulu (piggishness). Bamba (a broker) forms the word kibamba. So it denotes the nature, attributes, office, habit, customs, perquisites or rights possessed by or characterizing the person or thing denoted by the noun from which it is formed.

The prefix U- denotes the inherent quality which imparts the nature, condition, office etc. while the prefix Ki- denotes and characterizes the condition, privilege, power etc. incident to the possession of a certain nature, condition or office.
So prefix Ki- imparts something; and U- is due to its possession.

Thus from ngulu (a pig) comes ungulu, piggish nature - those qualities and that physical structure which is essential in a pig; kingulu, the habits of a pig, that which evidences a piggish nature.