-zi

See also: Appendix:Variations of "zi"

Swahili

Alternative forms

• (after a consonant) -i

Etymology

What are now vowel-final verb stems originally had an -l-, which resurfaces whenever a suffix is added. After addition of the suffix -i, this -l- was then spirantized to -z-.

Suffix

-zi

1. suffix used after a vowel in nominal forms of verbs, in conjunction with a noun class prefix

   ‎-kimbia (“to run”) + ‎-zi → ‎mkimbizi (“refugee”)

   ‎-teua (“to choose”) + ‎-zi → ‎uteuzi (“nomination”)

See also

Swahili terms suffixed with -zi