Bemba (M42)

Abstract This chapter presents some aspects of the grammar of the Bemba language; it focuses on the nominal class system of Bemba, discussing the different noun classes of Bemba with regard to their general semantics and patterns. The chapter demonstrates the significance of the noun classes of the language, particularly in respect of the relationship they have with the verb system in providing agreement between the subject and the verb itself. The chapter also discusses some morphophonological processes that arise from the interface between the sound system and word-formation processes in Bemba. The chapter further discusses word-formation processes in Bemba, which include compounding, borrowing, reduplication, and affixation. In addition, the chapter contains a section on the verbal complex of the language, in which the interaction of morphology and syntax is demonstrated.