ubani

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic لُبَان (lubān).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

ubani (u class, no plural)

1. incense (a perfume often used in the rites of various religions)
2. a fee or payment, especially one made to a family that has experienced a death

Xhosa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [úɓáːní]

Noun

úbání class 1a (plural óobání class 2a)

1. who is (it)?

   Ubani lo mntu?

   Who is this person?

   Ungubani?

   Who are you?

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Zulu

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Probably uba/oba + -ni "what", but what is uba? u- (class 1a) + -ba "to be"?”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /úɓaːní/

Noun

úbaní class 1a (plural obani class 2a)

1. who is (it)?

   Ubani lo muntu?

   Who is this person?

   Ungubani?

   Who are you?

   Ubani ongibize?

   Who called me?

Usage notes

Despite its meaning, this is grammatically a noun, and behaves as a noun in copulative sentences (it takes the ngu- copulative prefix). When a verb is added, the verb takes the relative concord rather than a subject concord, so that the combination Ubani ongibize? literally translates to Who is it who called me?.

Inflection

Class 1a/2a
	Singular	Plural
Full form	ubani	obani
Locative	kubani	kobani
	Singular		Plural
Full form	ubani		obani
Simple form	bani		bobani
Locative	kubani		kobani
Copulative	ngubani		ngobani
Possessive forms
	Singular		Plural
	Modifier	Substantive	Modifier	Substantive
Class 1	kabani	okabani	wobani	owobani
Class 2	bakabani	abakabani	bobani	abobani
Class 3	kabani	okabani	wobani	owobani
Class 4	kabani	ekabani	yobani	eyobani
Class 5	likabani	elikabani	lobani	elobani
Class 6	kabani	akabani	obani	awobani
Class 7	sikabani	esikabani	sobani	esobani
Class 8	zikabani	ezikabani	zobani	ezobani
Class 9	kabani	ekabani	yobani	eyobani
Class 10	zikabani	ezikabani	zobani	ezobani
Class 11	lukabani	olukabani	lobani	olobani
Class 14	bukabani	obukabani	bobani	obobani
Class 15	kukabani	okukabani	kobani	okobani
Class 17	kukabani	okukabani	kobani	okobani

References

• C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “-ɓani”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ɓani (2.4.3)”