Editing Xhosa language (section)

==Morphology==
In keeping with many other [[Bantu languages]], Xhosa is an [[agglutinative]] language, with an array of [[prefixes]] and [[suffixes]] that are attached to [[root word]]s. As in other Bantu languages, nouns in Xhosa are classified into [[Noun class|morphological classes]], or [[Gender (grammar)|genders]] (15 in Xhosa), with different prefixes for both singular and plural. Various parts of speech that qualify a [[noun]] must agree with the noun according to its gender. Agreements usually reflect part of the original class with which the word agrees. The [[word order]] is [[subject–verb–object]], like in English.

The [[verb]] is modified by affixes to mark subject, object, tense, aspect and mood. The various parts of the sentence must agree in both class and number.<ref name="ucla" />

===Nouns===

The Xhosa noun consists of two essential parts, the prefix and the stem. Using the prefixes, nouns can be grouped into noun classes, which are numbered consecutively, to ease comparison with other Bantu languages. Which they call 'amahlelo'


The following table gives an overview of Xhosa noun classes, arranged according to singular-plural pairs.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Class
!Singular
!Plural
! Example 
|-
|1/2
|um-
|aba-, abe-
|umntu , abantu
|-
|1a/2a
|u-
|oo-
|utitshala , ootitshala
|-
|3/4
|um-
|imi-
|umthi , imithi
|-
|5/6
|i-, ili-<sup>1</sup>
|ama-, ame-
|ilitye , amatye 
|-
|7/8
|is(i)-<sup>2</sup>
|iz(i)-<sup>2</sup>
|isitya , izitya
|-
|9/10
|iN-<sup>3</sup>
|iiN-<sup>3</sup>, iziN-<sup>4</sup>
|inja , izinja
|-
|11/10
|u-, ulu-<sup>1</sup>, ulw-, ul-
|iiN-<sup>3</sup>, iziN-<sup>4</sup>
| uluthi 
|-
|14
|ubu-, ub-, uty-
|
|ubuthi
|-
|15
|uku-
|
|ukutya
|}

<sup>1</sup> Before monosyllabic stems, e.g. {{lang|xh|'''<u>ili</u>so'''}} (eye), {{lang|xh|'''<u>ulu</u>hlu'''}} (list).

<sup>2</sup> '''is'''- and '''iz'''- replace '''isi'''- and '''izi'''- respectively before stems beginning with a vowel, e.g. {{lang|xh|'''<u>is</u>andla'''}}/{{lang|xh|'''<u>iz</u>andla'''}} (hand/hands).

<sup>3</sup> The placeholder '''N''' in the prefixes '''iN'''- and '''iiN'''- is a nasal consonant which assimilates in place to the following consonant (producing an '''im-''' before vowels), but is typically absent in loanwords.

<sup>4</sup> Before monosyllabic stems in some words.

===Verbs===

Verbs use the following prefixes for the subject and object:

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! Person/<br/>Class
! Subject
! Object
|-
| 1st sing.
| ndi-
| -ndi-
|-
| 2nd sing.
| u-
| -ku-
|-
| 1st plur.
| si-
| -si-
|-
| 2nd plur.
| ni-
| -ni-
|-
| 1
| u-
| -m-
|-
| 2
| ba-
| -ba-
|-
| 3
| u-
| -wu-
|-
| 4
| i-
| -yi-
|-
| 5
| li-
| -li-
|-
| 6
| a-
| -wa-
|-
| 7
| si-
| -si-
|-
| 8
| zi-
| -zi-
|-
| 9
| i-
| -yi-
|-
| 10
| zi-
| -zi-
|-
| 11
| lu-
| -lu-
|-
| 14
| bu-
| -bu-
|-
| 15
| ku-
| -ku-
|-
| reflexive
| —
| -zi-
|}

===Examples===
: uku'''dlala''' – to play
: uku'''bona''' – to see
: '''um'''ntwana – a child
: '''aba'''ntwana – children

: '''um'''ntwana '''u'''yadlala – the child is playing
: '''aba'''ntwana '''ba'''yadlala – the children are playing

: '''in'''doda – a man
: '''ama'''doda – men

: '''in'''doda '''i'''ya''m''bona ''um''ntwana – the man sees the child
: '''ama'''doda '''a'''ya''ba''bona ''aba''ntwana – the men see the children