Ordinal Numerals; -ombi
Vocabulary
| icyayi (no pl.) - tea (4th cl.) | ikawa (3rd cl.) - coffee, coffee trees |
| nyuma (or, hanyuma) - afterward, later | inanasi (3rd cl.) - pineapple |
| ikirayi - white potato | inyanya (or, urunyanya) - tomato |
| igikombe - cup |
121. The ordinal numerals (i.e. first, second, etc.) are formed by the possessive particle followed by the ka- form of the numeral, for numbers from 2 to 7; for 8 to 10 use the invariable form of the numeral; “first” is the possessive particle followed by mbere. Note that the noun and possessive particle are in the singular, and that the possessive particle agrees with the noun.
For numbers from 12th upward, the last part of the number usually makes the plural accord. However, you will often hear it with the ka- form.
122. The “last” of anything is nyuma or imperuka preceded by the posssessive particle. In a line of people the last one is: umuntu wa nyuma or, umuntu w’imperuka.
123. Numeral adverb. You have already learned that when counting with no object involved you say: rimwe, kabiri, etc. This same form is used for “once”, “twice”, etc. Also for “three times”, etc. e.g. Yasomye kabiri - he read twice.
Using this same prefix ka- , kenshi means “many times”, thus, “often”. Kangahe? means “how many times? e.g, Yaje hano kangahe? Yaje kenshi - How many times did he come here? He came often.
124 -ombi, both. When one wishes to say “my two eyes”, he must say: amaso yanjye yombi, that is, “both my eyes”. To use abiri here would imply that he had more than two eyes. This word may be used just as we use “both”, and must be used in referring to two of anything when that is all there is of it. Speaking of two people when only two are being considered, one would say bombi. “Both of you” is mwembi; “both of us” is twembi. For other claaa agreements use -ombi with the consonants of the possessive particles as prefixes.
Exercises:
Translate into Kinyarwanda: