JCE Chichewa flashcards

34 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

nsómba vs nsombá

A minimal pair distinguished only by tone: nsómba means 'fish', nsombá means 'millet'. In listening tasks, the pitch pattern on the stem, not the consonants, decides the meaning.

Aspiration contrast ph/p

Chichewa contrasts aspirated and unaspirated stops. '-phá' means 'kill' while '-pá' means 'get'. Missing the breathy release in heard speech can reverse the meaning of a whole sentence.

Muli bwanji?

The standard Chichewa greeting, literally 'how are you?'. The expected reply is 'Ndili bwino, kaya inu?', followed by 'Ndili bwino, zikomo'. The exchange is sequential, not simultaneous.

Pre-nasalised consonants

Clusters such as mb, nd, ng, nj and nz are homorganic: the nasal assimilates to the place of articulation of the following consonant. Mishearing the nasal changes the stem and thus the word.

Vowel length in Chichewa

Chichewa has five vowel qualities (a, e, i, o, u), but length is phonemic. A long vowel versus a short vowel can distinguish words, so duration must be tracked when listening and marked when writing.

Discourse marker 'ndiye'

'Ndiye' means 'so' or 'then' and marks a consequence or a new step in spoken narrative. Hearing it signals that the speaker is drawing an inference from what was just said.

Verb-initial order

Neutral Chichewa clauses commonly place the verb before the subject (VSO). When reading, locate the verb and its subject concord first, then identify the subject noun that follows.

The word 'ndi'

'Ndi' is ambiguous: it can be the copula 'is/are', the conjunction 'and', or an object concord for class 9/10 nouns. Agreement patterns and context decide which reading applies.

Passive suffix -idw-

The passive is formed with '-idw-' or '-edw-' before the final vowel -a, as in '-thandizidwa' (be helped). Recognising it prevents the reader from mistaking the object for the subject.

Relative '-mene'

Relative clauses use '-mene' or a class concord plus '-o', giving forms such as 'amene' and 'omwe'. These forms mark clause boundaries in long written sentences.

Cohesion marker 'komabe'

'Komabe' means 'nevertheless' or 'however' and signals concession. It contrasts with 'koma' (but) and 'choncho' (therefore), so it tells the reader an opposing point is being acknowledged.

Reading for gist

To extract the main point quickly, scan for the subject concord and tense marker on each verb, then the object. This verb-template strategy resolves meaning faster than translating word by word.

Kutaya nthawi

This idiom means 'to waste time', literally 'to throw away time'. It shows that Chichewa verb-plus-noun combinations must be learned as fixed units rather than translated literally.

Mtima woyera

Meaning 'kind-hearted' or 'pure-hearted', this idiom uses 'mtima' (heart) as the seat of emotion. It contrasts with 'mutu', the head, which is associated with intelligence and sense.

Kugwira manja

This phrase means 'to shake hands', literally 'to hold hands'. It contrasts with 'kugwira ntchito' (to work), showing that the noun following 'kugwira' determines the idiomatic meaning.

Kinship: mkulu and mng'ono

'Mkulu' means elder sibling and 'mng'ono' means younger sibling. These terms encode relative age rather than gender, so they are used for both brothers and sisters.

Loanword adaptation

English loanwords are adapted to Chichewa phonology and noun-class prefixes: 'school' becomes 'sukulu', 'book' becomes 'buku', 'bread' becomes 'buledi'. Recognising the pattern helps decode unfamiliar borrowings.

Proverb: mwana wa mnzako

'Mwana wa mnzako ndi wako yemwe' teaches that a neighbour's child is also your own, expressing shared responsibility for children. Proverbs of this type are expected in Chichewa essays and speeches.

Class 1/2 concord

Nouns for persons in classes 1 and 2 take m- in the singular and a- in the plural, with subject concords a- (class 1) and a-…-a, usually wa- (class 2), on the verb.

Verb template

A Chichewa verb is built as subject concord + tense/aspect + object concord + root + extension + final vowel. For example, 'ndi-ku-ku-thandiza' means 'I am helping you'.

Tense marker -na-

The infix '-na-' marks past tense, as in 'ndinagwira' (I worked). It contrasts with '-ku-' for present progressive, '-dza-' for future, and '-ma-' for habitual aspect.

Negative -sa-

The negative present is formed with '-sa-' after the subject concord: 'sindikugwira' means 'I am not working'. The negative of the copula 'ndi' is 'si-'.

Copula ndi versus ali

'Ndi' expresses identity ('Ine ndi mphunzitsi', I am a teacher), while 'ali' expresses location ('Ali kunyumba', he is at home). Possession uses 'ndi wa' plus the possessor.

Adjective agreement

Adjectives take a concord prefix matching the noun class: 'munthu wabwino' (good person, class 1), 'anthu abwino' (class 2), 'chinthu chabwino' (class 7). The prefix, not the adjective stem, changes.

Question word 'kodi'

'Kodi' introduces a yes/no question and corresponds roughly to 'is it the case that'. Wh-questions use 'ndani' (who), 'chiyani' (what), 'bwanji' (how), 'liti' (when), and 'kuti' (where).

Salutation 'Wokondedwa'

Formal Chichewa letters open with 'Wokondedwa' (dear/beloved), which takes a concord prefix agreeing with the addressee's noun class. The closing is 'Wanu mwachikondi' followed by the signature.

Narrative tense -na-

Past narrative in Chichewa composition uses '-na-' consistently. A switch to '-ku-' signals a shift to ongoing scene or background action rather than a tense error.

Reported speech with 'kuti'

Chichewa reported speech commonly uses 'kuti' (that) rather than quotation marks, as in 'Anati kuti akudza' (he said that he was coming). This is the standard device in written composition.

Ideophone 'bwibwibwi'

'Bwibwibwi' describes intense darkness, an ideophone conveying manner through sound. Ideophones and reduplication such as 'pang'ono pang'ono' (gradually) enrich descriptive Chichewa writing.

Essay structure terms

A Chichewa essay is organised as 'mawu oyamba' (introduction), 'thupi' (body), and 'mapeto' (conclusion). The conclusion restates the thesis and should not introduce new evidence.

Gule Wamkulu

The Great Dance of the Chewa, performed by masked members of the Nyau society at funerals and initiations. It is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Nthano and Kalulu

'Nthano' are Chewa folktales performed with audience response. Their central trickster is Kalulu the hare, whose foil is Fisi the hyena; Kamba the tortoise often outwits both.

Chichewa language spread

Chichewa is Malawi's national language and an official language alongside English. It is also spoken in Zambia (as Chinyanja or Nyanja), Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, with high mutual intelligibility across dialects.

Mbumba and matriliny

The Chewa organise kinship matrilineally around the 'mbumba', the lineage traced through women, under a chief ('mfumu'). This structure shapes inheritance, residence, and the content of oral literature.