Class 7 aka- utu-
Vocabulary
| agakiza - salvation (no pl.) | umurimo - work, task |
| akazi - work (Sw.) (no pl.) | umunwa. - mouth, lip |
| akantu - a little thing | mukanwa - inside the mouth |
| agahinda - sorrow (no pl.) | injangwe - cat (tame or wild) |
| ibicurane - cold in the head, runny nose |
46. Class 7.
| Noun prefix | aka- (akantu) | utu- (utuntu) |
| Pass. prefix | ka- (kanjye) | twa- (twanjye) |
| Verb prefix | ka- (kari) | tu- (turi) |
| Adj. prefix | ka- (kabi) | tu- (tubi) |
Note: ka- for adjective prefix before i changes to ke-: ka-iza = keza.
47. The plural is not very common for most of the words given above. However the plural is used commonly, especially for words brought into this class from other classes, as you see in the following paragraph.
48. This is the diminutive class. Words of all other classes may be given the prefixes of this class to give the meaning of a little thing:
| e.g. ikintu - thing | akantu - a little thing |
| igisimba - wild animal | agasimba - insect |
| umwenda - garment | akenda - a little clothing |
| umunyu - salt | akunyu - a little salt |
| amazi - water | utuzi - a little water |
| amata - milk | uduta - a little milk |
Note that the last two words, since in their regular form they have only a plural prefix, when changed to this class, still have a plural prefix. Note also that the diminutive of umunyu is akunyu, not akanyu. Also, ijambo in the diminutive is usually used.in the plural: utugambo.
49. The diminutive form is commonly used when a person is asking for something, though it isn’t just a little that he wants. e.g. Ndashaka uduta - I want a little milk (but he really wants more than a little.)
Exercises:
I. Change the following words to the diminutive form, glvlng both singular and plural, if both exist (without reference to the above list).
II. Translate into Kinyarwanda (use diminutive rather than adjective wherever possible)