Swahili: Basic Types

Shared types for the Swahili fragment, primarily the noun class system. Swahili has 18 noun classes (1–10, 14–18), following the standard Bantu numbering. Classes 1/2 are singular/plural animate (human), classes 3–10 are inanimate with various semantic associations, and classes 15–18 are infinitive and locative classes.

Noun class is the fundamental organizing principle of Swahili morphosyntax: it conditions subject/object agreement on the verb, possessive agreement, demonstrative agreement, and — crucially for relativization — the form of resumptive pronouns ([Sco21]).

Noun Class and Gender

Following [Car91] and [Kra15], noun class in Bantu expresses the combination of number and gender. Classes come in singular/plural pairs that define a "gender" (e.g., gender A = cl1/cl2 = human sg/pl).

inductive Swahili.NounClass : Type

Swahili noun classes. Standard Bantu numbering (1–10, 14–18). Classes 11–13 are absent in Swahili.

• cl1 : NounClass
• cl2 : NounClass
• cl3 : NounClass
• cl4 : NounClass
• cl5 : NounClass
• cl6 : NounClass
• cl7 : NounClass
• cl8 : NounClass
• cl9 : NounClass
• cl10 : NounClass
• cl14 : NounClass
• cl15 : NounClass
• cl16 : NounClass
• cl17 : NounClass
• cl18 : NounClass

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Swahili.instDecidableEqNounClass : DecidableEq NounClass

Equations

• Swahili.instDecidableEqNounClass x✝ y✝ = if h : x✝.ctorIdx = y✝.ctorIdx then isTrue ⋯ else isFalse ⋯

def Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr : NounClass → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl1 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl1")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl2 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl2")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl3 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl3")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl4 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl4")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl5 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl5")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl6 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl6")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl7 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl7")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl8 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl8")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl9 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl9")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl10 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl10")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl14 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl14")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl15 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl15")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl16 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl16")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl17 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl17")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr Swahili.NounClass.cl18 prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.NounClass.cl18")).group prec✝

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Swahili.instReprNounClass : Repr NounClass

Equations

• Swahili.instReprNounClass = { reprPrec := Swahili.instReprNounClass.repr }

def Swahili.NounClass.isAnimate : NounClass → Bool

Whether a noun class is animate (classes 1 and 2). Animate classes trigger person-matching resumptive pronouns in relativization.

Equations

• Swahili.NounClass.cl1.isAnimate = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl2.isAnimate = true
• x✝.isAnimate = false

def Swahili.NounClass.isLocative : NounClass → Bool

Whether a noun class is a locative class (16, 17, 18).

Equations

• Swahili.NounClass.cl16.isLocative = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl17.isLocative = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl18.isLocative = true
• x✝.isLocative = false

def Swahili.NounClass.isSingular : NounClass → Bool

Whether a noun class is singular.

Equations

• Swahili.NounClass.cl1.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl3.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl5.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl7.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl9.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl14.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl15.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl16.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl17.isSingular = true
• Swahili.NounClass.cl18.isSingular = true
• x✝.isSingular = false

def Swahili.NounClass.subjPrefix : NounClass → String

Subject prefix for each class on the verb.

Equations

• Swahili.NounClass.cl1.subjPrefix = "a"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl2.subjPrefix = "wa"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl3.subjPrefix = "u"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl4.subjPrefix = "i"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl5.subjPrefix = "li"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl6.subjPrefix = "ya"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl7.subjPrefix = "ki"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl8.subjPrefix = "vi"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl9.subjPrefix = "i"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl10.subjPrefix = "zi"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl14.subjPrefix = "u"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl15.subjPrefix = "ku"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl16.subjPrefix = "pa"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl17.subjPrefix = "ku"
• Swahili.NounClass.cl18.subjPrefix = "mu"

inductive Swahili.Gender : Type

Bantu genders: singular/plural noun class pairings. [Car91]: different number/gender combinations constitute different noun classes. [Sco21] Table 3.

• genderA : Gender
• genderB : Gender
• genderC : Gender
• genderD : Gender
• genderE : Gender

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Swahili.instDecidableEqGender : DecidableEq Gender

Equations

• Swahili.instDecidableEqGender x✝ y✝ = if h : x✝.ctorIdx = y✝.ctorIdx then isTrue ⋯ else isFalse ⋯

def Swahili.instReprGender.repr : Gender → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

• Swahili.instReprGender.repr Swahili.Gender.genderA prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.Gender.genderA")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprGender.repr Swahili.Gender.genderB prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.Gender.genderB")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprGender.repr Swahili.Gender.genderC prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.Gender.genderC")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprGender.repr Swahili.Gender.genderD prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.Gender.genderD")).group prec✝
• Swahili.instReprGender.repr Swahili.Gender.genderE prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Swahili.Gender.genderE")).group prec✝

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Swahili.instReprGender : Repr Gender

Equations

• Swahili.instReprGender = { reprPrec := Swahili.instReprGender.repr }

def Swahili.Gender.singularClass : Gender → NounClass

Singular class for a gender.

Equations

• Swahili.Gender.genderA.singularClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl1
• Swahili.Gender.genderB.singularClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl3
• Swahili.Gender.genderC.singularClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl5
• Swahili.Gender.genderD.singularClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl7
• Swahili.Gender.genderE.singularClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl9

def Swahili.Gender.pluralClass : Gender → NounClass

Plural class for a gender.

Equations

• Swahili.Gender.genderA.pluralClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl2
• Swahili.Gender.genderB.pluralClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl4
• Swahili.Gender.genderC.pluralClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl6
• Swahili.Gender.genderD.pluralClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl8
• Swahili.Gender.genderE.pluralClass = Swahili.NounClass.cl10

def Swahili.Gender.status : Gender → Bantu.GenderStatus

Semantic core status for each Swahili gender.

Swahili's General Animate Concords (GAC) — class 1/2 agreement for all animate nouns regardless of class — suggests [animate] may be grammaticalized as a feature ([Car26] §8, (109)–(110)). The core assignments below follow the pattern established for Xhosa and Shona, with gender E (9/10) bearing [animal] given the predominance of animal terms in this class. Genders B–D lack salient entity-class associations.

Equations

• Swahili.Gender.genderA.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.human
• Swahili.Gender.genderE.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.animal
• x✝.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.uninterpretable

def Swahili.Gender.toGender : Gender → _root_.Gender

Map Swahili gender classes to the shared surface-level gender type. Gender A (cl1/cl2, human) → animate; all others → inanimate. This is the coarsest descriptive mapping — Bantu class distinctions within the inanimate domain are not captured at the Gender level.

Equations

• Swahili.Gender.genderA.toGender = Gender.animate
• x✝.toGender = Gender.inanimate