Zulu edit

Etymology edit

From u- (class 1a) +‎ inhlaba (aloe). Probably refers to the flowering of aloe plants. However, the native species of aloe flower about one to two months after this month.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

úNhlâba class 1a (plural ôNhlâba class 2a)

  1. May
    Synonym: uMeyi
  2. the eleventh month of the Zulu lunar calendar, beginning with the new moon in late April or early May

Inflection edit

Class 1a/2a
Singular Plural
Full form uNhlaba oNhlaba
Locative kuNhlaba koNhlaba
Singular Plural
Full form uNhlaba oNhlaba
Simple form Nhlaba boNhlaba
Locative kuNhlaba koNhlaba
Copulative nguNhlaba ngoNhlaba
Possessive forms
Singular Plural
Modifier Substantive Modifier Substantive
Class 1 kaNhlaba okaNhlaba woNhlaba owoNhlaba
Class 2 bakaNhlaba abakaNhlaba boNhlaba aboNhlaba
Class 3 kaNhlaba okaNhlaba woNhlaba owoNhlaba
Class 4 kaNhlaba ekaNhlaba yoNhlaba eyoNhlaba
Class 5 likaNhlaba elikaNhlaba loNhlaba eloNhlaba
Class 6 kaNhlaba akaNhlaba oNhlaba awoNhlaba
Class 7 sikaNhlaba esikaNhlaba soNhlaba esoNhlaba
Class 8 zikaNhlaba ezikaNhlaba zoNhlaba ezoNhlaba
Class 9 kaNhlaba ekaNhlaba yoNhlaba eyoNhlaba
Class 10 zikaNhlaba ezikaNhlaba zoNhlaba ezoNhlaba
Class 11 lukaNhlaba olukaNhlaba loNhlaba oloNhlaba
Class 14 bukaNhlaba obukaNhlaba boNhlaba oboNhlaba
Class 15 kukaNhlaba okukaNhlaba koNhlaba okoNhlaba
Class 17 kukaNhlaba okukaNhlaba koNhlaba okoNhlaba

References edit

  • C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “-nhlaɓa”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN:-nhlaɓa (2.3-8.9)
  • Koopman, Adrian (2002) Andrea Nattrass, editor, Zulu Names, Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press