Grammatical Markers
Grammatical markers in the Ma'Kobane Dictionary provide important information about how words function in Sesotho grammar. Understanding these markers will enhance your ability to use words correctly.
What Are Grammatical Markers?
Grammatical markers are indicators that show specific grammatical properties or behaviors of words. In the dictionary, they appear in a highlighted section of each entry.
Noun Markers
Nouns in Sesotho have several important grammatical markers:
- •Noun Class: Indicates which of the Sesotho noun classes the word belongs to (Classes 1-18)
- •Plural Form: Shows how the noun changes in plural
- •Possessive Concord: The form used when showing possession
- •Subject Concord: The form used when the noun is the subject of a sentence
- •Object Concord: The form used when the noun is the object of a verb
Verb Markers
Verb entries may contain the following grammatical markers:
- •Transitivity: Whether the verb requires an object (transitive) or not (intransitive)
- •Perfect Form: How the verb changes to indicate completed action
- •Passive Form: How the verb changes when the subject receives rather than performs the action
- •Applied Form: How the verb changes to indicate that the action is done for or toward someone/something
- •Causative Form: How the verb changes to indicate causing someone to do the action
- •Reciprocal Form: How the verb changes to indicate that subjects perform the action to each other
Adjective Markers
Adjective entries may include:
- •Adjectival Concord: How the adjective changes to agree with different noun classes
- •Derived Forms: Related adverbs or nouns derived from the adjective
Why Grammatical Markers Matter
Understanding grammatical markers is crucial for correctly using Sesotho:
- •They help you form grammatically correct sentences
- •They show how words change their form in different contexts
- •They provide insight into the rich grammatical structure of Sesotho
- •They help you understand how words relate to each other in sentences
By paying attention to grammatical markers, you'll develop a deeper understanding of Sesotho grammar and be able to use the language more effectively.