Maemedi [Pronouns] (English)

Maemedi [Pronouns] (English)

Pronouns in Setswana

Maemedi (pronouns) are used in the place of nouns to avoid repeating them over and over again. In Setswana, maemedi can also have a function of emphasising or directing to a specific noun. Scholars would go into tremendous detail and even identify and define different types of maemedi – some of which definitions may become quite discombobulating to a lay person. Our focus however, shall be on the two most prominent types of maemedi: The absolute pronoun (leemedi-tota) and the demonstrative pronoun (leemedi-lesupi).

1. Leemedi-tota [Absolute pronoun]

The structure of these maemedi is quite simple, and each leemedi (singular) is closely linked to the noun class of the noun it represents. Each leemedi is made up of two morphemes, the root “-ne” and the prefix, which is determined by the noun class.

Class Prefix Leemedi
1 mo- ene
monna monna ene
1a ɸ ene
Gabriel/rakgadi Gabriel ene
2 ba- bone
basadi basadi bone
2a bo- bone
boRaphael/bomalome boRaphael bone
3 mo- one
mopipi mopipi one
4 me- yone
meropa meropa yone
5 le- lone
lerapo lerapo lone
6 ma- one
maaka maaka one
7 se- sone
selepe selepe sone
8 di- tsone
dibini dibini tsone
9 N- yone
katse katse yone
10 diN- tsone
dipodi dipodi tsone
11 lo- lone
lore lore lone
14 bo- jone/bone
botsipa botsipa jone
15 go- gone
go ja go ja gone
16 fa- gone
fale fale gone
17 go- gone
godimo godimo gone
18 mo- gone
morago morago gone

Leemedi tota can be used to emphasise the subject noun by being placed right after it:
          <Dipodi tsone di sutlhile>

It can also be used alone without the subject noun, where now it does not show emphasis:
<Tsone di suthile>

It can be used in the place of an object noun.
          <O batla tsone>

2. Leemedi-lesupi [Demonstrative pronoun]

The demonstrative pronoun (leemedi-lesupi) demonstrate distance of the subject or object from the speaker. There are three main positions:

1. Here, which is usually just a monosyllabic prefix (see table below), but can also have the suffix “-na” or “-no” to indicate emphasis. Examples: Monna yo (this man) or Monna yona (this very man).

2. There (near 2nd person). This can be identified by the suffix “-o”. Example, Monna yoo (that man).

3. There yonder. This can be identified by the suffix “-le”. Example, Monna yole (that man yonder).

Class Prefix 1st Position (Natural) 1st Position with Emphasis 2nd Position 3rd Position
1 mo- yo yona/yono yoo yole
monna mmitse monna yo mmitse monna yono mmitse monna yoo mmitse monna yole
1a ɸ yo yona/yono yoo yole
Gabriel/rakgadi mmitse rakgadi yo mmitse rakgadi yona mmitse rakgadi yoo mmitse rakgadi yole
2 ba- ba bana/bano bao bale
basadi ba bitse basadi ba ba bitse basadi bano ba bitse basadi bao ba bitse basadi bale
2a bo- ba bana/bano bao bale
boRaphael/bomalome ba bitse bomalome ba ba bitse bomalome bana ba bitse bomalome bao ba bitse bomalome bale
3 mo- o ona/ono oo ole
mopipi o tshube mopipi o o tshube mopipi ono o tshube mopipi oo o tshube mopipi ole
4 me- e ena/eno eo ele
meropa e letse, meropa e e letse, meropa ena e letse, meropa eo e letse, meropa ele
5 le- le lena/leno leo lele
lerapo le robe, lerapo le le robe, lerapo leno le robe, lerapo leo le robe, lerapo lele
6 ma- a ana/ano ao ale
maaka a ganetse, maaka a a ganetse, maaka ana a ganetse, maaka ao a ganetse, maaka ale
7 se- se sena/seno seo sele
selepe se lotse, selepe se se lotse, selepe seno se lotse, selepe seo se lotse, selepe sele
8 di- tse tsena/tseno tseo tsele
dibini di opedise, dibini tse di opedise, dibini tsena di opedise, dibini tseo di opedise, dibini tsele
9 N- e ena/eno eo tse
katse e kobe, katse e e kobe, katse eno e kobe, katse eo e kobe, katse ele
10 diN- tse tsena/tseno tseo tsele
dipodi di game, dipodi tse di game, dipodi tsena di game, dipodi tseo di game, dipodi tsele
11 lo- lo lona/lono loo lole
lore lo obe, lore lo lo obe, lore lono lo obe, lore loo lo obe, lore lole
14 bo- jo jona/jono joo jole
botsipa bo supe, botsipa jo bo supe, botsipa jona bo supe, botsipa joo bo supe, botsipa jole
15 go-
go ja
16 fa-
fale
17 go-
godimo
18 mo-
morago

To return to the main Parts of Speech page, click here, or read this article in Setswana at Maemedi [Pronouns] (Setswana).