mu-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mu"

Languages (43)

Beembe • Bemba • Bende • Cebuano • Chichewa • Digo • Duala • East Nyala • Fwe • Hehe • Herero • Ikoma • Japanese • Kamba • Kambera • Kwangali • Lala-Bisa • Luba-Kasai • Malawi Lomwe • Matengo • Mbukushu • Ndamba • Ndengereko • Nheengatu • Northern Ndebele • Nyamwanga • Nyungwe • Phuthi • Punu • Rwanda-Rundi • Shambala • Shona • Southern Ndebele • Southern Pomo • Swahili • Swazi • Talinga-Bwisi • Tooro • Tsonga • Tumbuka • Venda • Yao (Africa) • Zulu

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Page categories

Beembe

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Bemba

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 simple noun prefix.
2. Class 3 simple noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

References

• Reverend E. Hoch (1998), Bemba - English/English - Bemba‎^[1], Hippocrene Books, page 213

Bende

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

References

• Yuko Abe (2006), A Bende Vocabulary‎^[2], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page v

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• (Standard Cebuano) IPA^(key): /mu/ [mo]
• Syllabification: mu-

Prefix

mu- (perfect ming-, mi-, ni-)

1. alternative form of mo-

See also

Category Cebuano terms prefixed with mu- not found

Chichewa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mu/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. second-person plural subject concord, you, you all

Usage notes

The second person plural is also used as a term for respect.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix
2. Class 3 noun prefix
3. Class 18 noun prefix

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ́-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 subject concord.

Digo

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Sabaki *mu-, from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“class 1 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Sabaki *mu-, from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“class 3 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Sabaki *mu-, from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“class 18 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 noun prefix.

References

• Joseph Mwalonya, Alison Nicolle, Steve Nicolle, Juma Zimbu, Mgombato. Digo-English-Swahili Dictionary (2005), page 208

Duala

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.

References

• Paul Helmlinger, Dictionnaire Duala - Français (1972) page XII

East Nyala

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 noun prefix.

Fwe

Alternative forms

• m-, mw-

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-. Compare Swahili m-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix. (plural ba-)
2. Class 3 noun prefix. (plural mi-)

Hehe

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 noun prefix.

Herero

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 18 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 noun prefixes.

References

• Wilhelm J.G. Möhlig, Lutz Marten, Jekura U. Kavari (2002), A Grammatical Sketch of Herero (Otjiherero)‎^[3], Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, page 31

Ikoma

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 simple noun prefix.

References

• Obhohunyurëru 12:1 - "mo-mutu" translates as "on her head", showing that when class 3 nouns use the locative case (in this case, class 18), they lose the initial vowel prefix before the noun [i.e. 'o' in omutu disappears].

Japanese

Romanization

mu-

1. Rōmaji transcription of む

Kamba

Alternative forms

• m-

Prefix

mu-

1. you plural (used for conjugating verbs to the subjective or nominative case of the personal pronoun)

Kambera

Alternative forms

• u-

Pronoun

mu-

1. second person singular nominative proclitic

See also

Kambera pronominal clitics

			nominative	genitive	accusative	dative
singular	first person		ku-	-nggu	-ka	-ngga
	second person		mu- (u-)	-mu	-kau	-nggau
	third person		na-	-na	-ya	-nya
plural	first person	inclusive	ta-	-nda	-ta	-nda
		exclusive	ma-	-ma	-kama	-nggama
	second person		mi- (i-)	-mi	-kami (-kai)	-nggami (-nggai)
	third person		da-	-da	-ha	-nja

Kwangali

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix
2. Class 3 noun prefix.

References

• Ernst Dammann, Studien zum Kwangali: Grammatik, Texte, Glossar, 2019 - pages 8 & 10

Lala-Bisa

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 simple noun prefix.
2. Class 3 simple noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

References

• Arthur Cornwallis Madan (1908), Lala-Lamba Handbook: A Short Introduction to the South-Western Division of the Wisa-Lala Dialect of Northern Rhodesia with Stories and Vocabulary‎^[4], Oxford Clarendon Press, pages 11, 14

Luba-Kasai

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

Malawi Lomwe

Alternative forms

• mw-

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.

References

• Ellomwe-English Vocabulary, page 5

Matengo

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 1, 3 & 18 noun prefix”)

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

Notes

Yoneda does not state that 'mu-' is the Class 3 noun prefix, rather leaving it blank. However, in light of other Bantuists stating that 'mu-' is the Class 3 noun prefix, it is likely that this is also the case in Matengo.

References

• Nobuko Yoneda (2006), A Classified Vocabulary of the Matengo Language‎^[5], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page xi

Mbukushu

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 1, 13, 18 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

References

• R.C.Wynne (1980), English-Mbukushu Dictionary‎^[6], Avebury Publishing Company Limited, page xvii, xviii

Ndamba

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Ndengereko

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

References

• Eva-Marie Störm, The Ndengeleko language of Tanzania, page 125

Nheengatu

Alternative forms

• um-, m-

Etymology

Inherited from Old Tupi mo-.

Prefix

mu-

1. forms causative verbs from verbs

Derived terms

Nheengatu terms prefixed with mu-

mupuranga

musasá

References

• Avila, Marcel Twardowsky (2021), “mu-”, in Proposta de dicionário nheengatu-português [Nheengatu–Portuguese dictionary proposal] (in Portuguese), São Paulo: USP, →DOI, page 491

Northern Ndebele

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. him, her, it; class 1 object concord.

Usage notes

The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.

Nyamwanga

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Simple class 1 noun prefix.

Nyungwe

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 noun prefix.

Phuthi

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. him, her, it; class 1 object concord.
2. him, her, it; class 3 object concord.

Etymology 3

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Punu

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 1 & 3 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.

References

• Yasutoshi Yukawa (2006), A Classified Vocabulary of the Punu Language‎^[7], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page iii

Rwanda-Rundi

Prefix

mu-

1. you, second-person plural subject concord.
2. Augmentless form of umu- (“class 1 or 3 noun prefix”)
3. class 1 or 3 concord prefix for adjectives

Alternative forms

• mw- (before a vowel)

Shambala

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.

References

• August Seidel (1895), Handbuch der Shambala-sprache in Usambara, Deutsch-Ostafrika. Mit Texten, einem Shambala-Deutschen und einem Deutsch-Shambala-Wörterbuch‎^[8], Dresden-Leipzig, page 2

Shona

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“Class 18 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 noun prefix.

References

• M. Hannan, S.J. (1984), Standard Shona Dictionary: Revised Edition with Addendum‎^[9], Harare College Press, page x

Southern Ndebele

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. him, her, it; class 1 object concord.

Usage notes

The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.

Southern Pomo

Alternative forms

• mo-

Prefix

mu-

1. heat, fire, emotion
2. relating to a short object in the air

Usage notes

This prefix is used with verbs only.

Swahili

Alternative forms

• m- (before consonants)
• mw- (before vowels)

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Proto-Sabaki *mu-

Swahili mu-

Inherited from Proto-Sabaki *mu-, from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

In Sabaki, cognate with Ngazidja Comorian m- and Giryama mu-. Other Bantu cognates include Rwanda-Rundi mu- and Zulu mu- ~ m-.

Prefix

mu- (plural wa-)

1. m class_(I) noun prefix and adjective agreement prefix used before /u/ and /w/

   ‎mu- + ‎-ua (“to kill”) + ‎-ji (nominalizing suffix) → ‎muuaji (“killer”)

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Proto-Sabaki *mu-

Swahili mu-

Inherited from Proto-Sabaki *mu-, from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

In Sabaki, cognate with Ngazidja Comorian m- and Giryama mu-. Other Bantu cognates include Rwanda-Rundi mu- and Zulu mu- ~ m-.

Prefix

mu- (plural mi-)

1. m class_(III) noun prefix and adjective agreement prefix used before /u/, /w/, and occasionally /h/

   muhindi ― maize plant

   ‎mu- + ‎-ungana (“to join together”) + ‎-o (nominalizing suffix) → ‎muungano (“union”)

See also

• Appendix:Swahili noun classes

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. you, 2nd person plural subject concord used before /u/ and /w/

   Antonym: hamu-

2. verb-initial form of -mu- (“her, him; 3rd person singular (m class_(I)) object concord used before /u/ and /w/”)

See also

Swahili personal pronouns (m-wa class_(I/II))

	person	independent	subject concord		object concord	combined forms			possessive
			affirmative	negative		na	ndi-	si-
singular	first	mimi	ni-	si-	-ni-	nami, na mimi	ndimi, ndiye	simi, siye	-angu
	second	wewe	u-	hu-	-ku-	nawe, na wewe	ndiwe, ndiye	siwe, siye	-ako
	third	yeye	a-, yu-	ha-, hayu-	-m-, -mw-, -mu-	naye, na yeye	ndiye	siye	-ake
plural	first	sisi	tu-	hatu-	-tu-	nasi, na sisi	ndisi, ndio	sio	-etu
	second	ninyi	m-, mw-, mu-	ham-, hamw-, hamu-	-wa-	nanyi, na ninyi	ndinyi, ndio	sinyi, sio	-enu
	third	wao	wa-	hawa-	-wa-	nao	ndio	sio	-ao
reflexive		—	—		-ji-	—			—

For a full table including other classes, see Appendix:Swahili personal pronouns.

Etymology 4

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ́-.

Prefix

mu-

1. therein, mu class_(XVIII) subject concord used before /u/ and /w/

   Antonym: hamu-

See also

Swahili verbal concords (third person)

class	subject concord		object concord	relative
	affirmative	negative
m(I)	a-, yu-	ha-, hayu-	-m-, -mw-, -mu-	-ye
wa(II)	wa-	hawa-	-wa-	-o
m(III)	u-	hau-	-u-	-o
mi(IV)	i-	hai-	-i-	-yo
ji(V)	li-	hali-	-li-	-lo
ma(VI)	ya-	haya-	-ya-	-yo
ki(VII)	ki-	haki-	-ki-	-cho
vi(VIII)	vi-	havi-	-vi-	-vyo
n(IX)	i-	hai-	-i-	-yo
n(X)	zi-	hazi-	-zi-	-zo
u(XI)	u-	hau-	-u-	-o
ku(XV/XVII)	ku-	haku-	-ku-	-ko
pa(XVI)	pa-	hapa-	-pa-	-po
mu(XVIII)	m-, mw-, mu-	ham-, hamw-, hamu-	-mu-	-mo

For a full table including first and second person,
see Appendix:Swahili personal pronouns

Swazi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. him, her, it; class 1 object concord.

Usage notes

The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.

Talinga-Bwisi

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Tooro

Alternative forms

• (before vowels) mw-

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mu-/

Prefix

mu-

1. you, you all; 2nd person plural subject concord

   ‎mu- + ‎-kora (“to do”) → ‎mukora (“you all do”)

See also

Tooro personal pronouns

class	person	independent	possessive	subject concord	object concord	combined forms
						na	ni
class 1	first	nyowe, nye	-ange	n-	-n-	nanyowe, nanye	ninyowe, ninye
	second	iwe	-awe	o-	-ku-	naiwe	niiwe
	third	uwe	-e	a-	-mu-	nawe	nuwe
class 2	first	itwe	-aitu	tu-	-tu-	naitwe	niitwe
	second	inywe	-anyu	mu-	-ba-	nainywe	niinywe
	third	bo	-abo	ba-	-ba-	nabo	nubo
class 3		gwo	-agwo	gu-	-gu-	nagwo	nugwo
class 4		yo	-ayo	e-	-gi-	nayo	niyo
class 5		lyo	-alyo	li-	-li-	nalyo	niryo
class 6		go	-ago	ga-	-ga-	nago	nugo
class 7		kyo	-akyo	ki-	-ki-	nakyo	nikyo
class 8		byo	-abyo	bi-	-bi-	nabyo	nibyo
class 9		yo	-ayo	e-	-gi-	nayo	niyo
class 10		zo	-azo	zi-	-zi-	nazo	nizo
class 11		rwo	-arwo	ru-	-ru-	narwo	nurwo
class 12		ko	-ako	ka-	-ka-	nako	nuko
class 13		two	-atwo	tu-	-tu-	natwo	nutwo
class 14		bwo	-abwo	bu-	-bu-	nabwo	nubwo
class 15		kwo	-akwo	ku-	-ku-	nakwo	nukwo
class 16		ho	-aho	ha-	-ha-	naho	nuho
class 17		(kwo)	N/A	ha- (...-yo)	-ha-	N/A	nukwo
class 18		(mwo)	-amwo	ha- (...-mu)	-ha-	N/A	numwo
reflexive		-enyini, -onyini	—		-e-	—

References

• Kaji, Shigeki (2007), A Rutooro Vocabulary‎^[10], Tokyo: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), →ISBN, page 413

Tsonga

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.

Alternative forms

• m-
• n-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Tumbuka

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. 2nd person plural subject concord.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.
2. Class 3 noun prefix.
3. Class 18 noun prefix.

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ́-

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 18 subject concord.

Derived terms

• mukaŵa (“there was”)

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 adjective concord.
2. Class 18 adjective concord.

Venda

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 noun prefix.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 noun prefix.

Yao (Africa)

Alternative forms

• m-

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀- (“2nd person plural subject concord”).

Prefix

mu-

1. 2nd person plural subject concord.

References

• Rev. Alexander Hetherwick, M.A., F.R.G.S. (1902), A Handbook of the Yao Language‎^[11], Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 32
• Meredith Sanderson, M.R.C.S., F.R.G.S., F.R.A.I. (1922), A Yao Grammar‎^[12], Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 36

Zulu

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 1 simple noun prefix.

Usage notes

The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mú-

1. him, her, it; class 1 object concord.

Usage notes

The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.

Etymology 3

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀-.

Prefix

mu-

1. Class 3 simple noun prefix.

Usage notes

The variant form m- is used before stems of more than one syllable.

References

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