Documentation

Linglib.Fragments.Shona.Basic

Shona: Basic Types #

@cite{carstens-2026}

The Shona noun class system with eight singular/plural pairings and semantic core associations following @cite{carstens-2026} §3.5, §5.2.

Shona has fourteen active noun classes (1–14), organized into eight genders. Unlike Xhosa's three-way semantic split ([human]/[inanimate]/[animal]), Shona has a binary split: [human] (classes 1/2) vs everything else. The [animal] association with classes 9/10 has bleached in Shona, leaving only two interpretable genders.

Agreement with conjoined singulars #

The only consistent agreement patterns with conjoined singulars are:

Six of eight genders are uninterpretable, so default agreement dominates. Gender-matching plural agreement is the exception, not the rule (@cite{carstens-2026} §3.5, §5.2).

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inductive Fragments.Shona.NounClass :
Type

Shona noun classes. Standard Bantu numbering (1–14). Classes 15–18 are absent or non-productive. Class 11 plurals are syncretic with class 10; class 14 plurals use class 6.

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    @[implicit_reducible]
    instance Fragments.Shona.instDecidableEqNounClass :
    DecidableEq NounClass
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    @[implicit_reducible]
    instance Fragments.Shona.instReprNounClass :
    Repr NounClass
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    def Fragments.Shona.instReprNounClass.repr :
    NounClass → ℕ → Std.Format
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      def Fragments.Shona.NounClass.classNumber :
      NounClass → ℕ
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        def Fragments.Shona.NounClass.isSingular :
        NounClass → Bool
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          def Fragments.Shona.NounClass.subjPrefix :
          NounClass → String

          Subject marker prefix for each class on the verb. From examples in @cite{carstens-2026} §3.5.

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            inductive Fragments.Shona.Gender :
            Type

            Shona genders: eight singular/plural noun class pairings. From @cite{carstens-2026} (16).

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              @[implicit_reducible]
              instance Fragments.Shona.instDecidableEqGender :
              DecidableEq Gender
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              def Fragments.Shona.instReprGender.repr :
              Gender → ℕ → Std.Format
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                @[implicit_reducible]
                instance Fragments.Shona.instReprGender :
                Repr Gender
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                def Fragments.Shona.Gender.singularClass :
                Gender → NounClass
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                  def Fragments.Shona.Gender.pluralClass :
                  Gender → NounClass
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                    def Fragments.Shona.Gender.status :
                    Gender → Bantu.GenderStatus

                    Semantic core status for each Shona gender.

                    @cite{carstens-2026} §5.2: Shona has a binary [±human] split. Only classes 1/2 have the [human] core. Classes 7/8 serve as the non-human default — the core for "all and only non-humans." The [animal] association with 9/10 has bleached; the remaining six genders are purely formal (uninterpretable).

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                      def Fragments.Shona.Gender.toSurfaceGender :
                      Gender → Features.SurfaceGender

                      Map Shona gender classes to the shared surface-level gender type. Gender A (cl1/cl2, human) → animate; all others → inanimate. Shona's binary [±human] split maps naturally to the animate/inanimate distinction.

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