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).