tawala

Lindu

Noun

tawala

1. spear

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic تَوَلَّى (tawallā).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Verb

-tawala (infinitive kutawala)

1. to rule, to reign

   Synonyms: -miliki, -tamalaki

Conjugation

Conjugation of -tawala
Positive present -natawala Subjunctive -tawale Negative -tawali Imperative singular tawala
Infinitives
Positive kutawala Negative kutotawala
Imperatives
Singular tawala Plural tawaleni
Tensed forms
Habitual hutawala Positive past positive subject concord + -litawala Negative past negative subject concord + -kutawala
Positive present (positive subject concord + -natawala) Singular Plural 1st person ninatawala/natawala tunatawala 2nd person unatawala mnatawala 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anatawala wanatawala other classes positive subject concord + -natawala
Negative present (negative subject concord + -tawali) Singular Plural 1st person sitawali hatutawali 2nd person hutawali hamtawali 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hatawali hawatawali other classes negative subject concord + -tawali
Positive future positive subject concord + -tatawala Negative future negative subject concord + -tatawala
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -tawale) Singular Plural 1st person nitawale tutawale 2nd person utawale mtawale 3rd person m-wa(I/II) atawale watawale other classes positive subject concord + -tawale
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sitawale Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngetawala Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singetawala Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalitawala Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalitawala
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -atawala) Singular Plural 1st person natawala twatawala 2nd person watawala mwatawala 3rd person m-wa(I/II) atawala watawala m-mi(III/IV) watawala yatawala ji-ma(V/VI) latawala yatawala ki-vi(VII/VIII) chatawala vyatawala n(IX/X) yatawala zatawala u(XI) watawala see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwatawala pa(XVI) patawala mu(XVIII) mwatawala
Perfect positive subject concord + -metawala "Already" positive subject concord + -meshatawala "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jatawala "If/When" positive subject concord + -kitawala "If not" positive subject concord + -sipotawala Consecutive katawala / positive subject concord + -katawala Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -katawale
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nitawala -tutawala 2nd person -kutawala -watawala/-kutawaleni/-watawaleni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mtawala -watawala m-mi(III/IV) -utawala -itawala ji-ma(V/VI) -litawala -yatawala ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kitawala -vitawala n(IX/X) -itawala -zitawala u(XI) -utawala see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kutawala pa(XVI) -patawala mu(XVIII) -mutawala Reflexive -jitawala
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -tawala- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -tawalaye -tawalao m-mi(III/IV) -tawalao -tawalayo ji-ma(V/VI) -tawalalo -tawalayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -tawalacho -tawalavyo n(IX/X) -tawalayo -tawalazo u(XI) -tawalao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -tawalako pa(XVI) -tawalapo mu(XVIII) -tawalamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -tawala) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yetawala -otawala m-mi(III/IV) -otawala -yotawala ji-ma(V/VI) -lotawala -yotawala ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chotawala -vyotawala n(IX/X) -yotawala -zotawala u(XI) -otawala see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kotawala pa(XVI) -potawala mu(XVIII) -motawala
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Nominal derivations:
  • mtawala (“ruler, administrator”)
  • utawala (“rule, reign, administration”)