Xhosa: Basic Types

[Car26] [TTML18]

The Xhosa noun class system with five singular/plural pairings (genders A–E) and semantic core associations following [Car26].

Xhosa has ten active noun classes (1–10) plus class 15 (infinitives/gerunds), organized into five genders. Three genders have interpretable semantic cores: A (1/2) = [human], D (7/8) = [inanimate], E (9/10) = [animal]. Two genders (B = 3/4, C = 5/6) are uninterpretable — their members are semantically arbitrary.

Agreement with conjoined singulars

The interpretability split directly predicts agreement patterns with uniform conjoined singulars ([Car26] §3, Tables 13–14):

• [1&1], [7&7], [9&9]: gender-matching plural agreement available
• [3&3], [5&5]: gender-matching plural agreement unavailable; default only

Default agreement: class 2 ba- for [human], class 8 zi- for non-human.

inductive Xhosa.NounClass : Type

Xhosa noun classes. Standard Bantu numbering (1–10, 15). Classes 11–14 and 16–18 are absent in modern Xhosa.

• cl1 : NounClass
• cl2 : NounClass
• cl3 : NounClass
• cl4 : NounClass
• cl5 : NounClass
• cl6 : NounClass
• cl7 : NounClass
• cl8 : NounClass
• cl9 : NounClass
• cl10 : NounClass
• cl15 : NounClass

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Xhosa.instDecidableEqNounClass : DecidableEq NounClass

Equations

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

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Xhosa.instReprNounClass : Repr NounClass

Equations

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

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

Equations

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

def Xhosa.NounClass.classNumber : NounClass → ℕ

Equations

• Xhosa.NounClass.cl1.classNumber = 1
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl2.classNumber = 2
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl3.classNumber = 3
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl4.classNumber = 4
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl5.classNumber = 5
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl6.classNumber = 6
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl7.classNumber = 7
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl8.classNumber = 8
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl9.classNumber = 9
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl10.classNumber = 10
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl15.classNumber = 15

def Xhosa.NounClass.isSingular : NounClass → Bool

Equations

• Xhosa.NounClass.cl1.isSingular = true
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl3.isSingular = true
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl5.isSingular = true
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl7.isSingular = true
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl9.isSingular = true
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl15.isSingular = true
• x✝.isSingular = false

def Xhosa.NounClass.subjPrefix : NounClass → String

Subject marker prefix for each class on the verb. From [Car26] and [TTML18].

Equations

• Xhosa.NounClass.cl1.subjPrefix = "u"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl2.subjPrefix = "ba"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl3.subjPrefix = "u"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl4.subjPrefix = "i"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl5.subjPrefix = "li"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl6.subjPrefix = "a"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl7.subjPrefix = "si"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl8.subjPrefix = "zi"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl9.subjPrefix = "i"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl10.subjPrefix = "zi"
• Xhosa.NounClass.cl15.subjPrefix = "ku"

inductive Xhosa.Gender : Type

Xhosa genders: singular/plural noun class pairings. [Car91] (17): five genders A–E for classes 1–10.

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

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Xhosa.instDecidableEqGender : DecidableEq Gender

Equations

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

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Xhosa.instReprGender : Repr Gender

Equations

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

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

Equations

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

def Xhosa.Gender.singularClass : Gender → NounClass

Equations

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

def Xhosa.Gender.pluralClass : Gender → NounClass

Equations

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

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

Semantic core status for each Xhosa gender.

[Car26] (71):

• Gender A (1/2): nₐ₁ = i[entity] i[human], nₐ₂ = i[entity] (arbitrary)
• Gender B (3/4): nB = uninterpretable for all members
• Gender C (5/6): nC = uninterpretable for all members
• Gender D (7/8): nD₁ = i[entity] i[inanimate], nD₂ = i[entity] (arbitrary)
• Gender E (9/10): nE₁ = i[entity] i[animal], nE₂ = i[entity] (arbitrary)

Equations

• Xhosa.Gender.genderA.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.human
• Xhosa.Gender.genderB.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.uninterpretable
• Xhosa.Gender.genderC.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.uninterpretable
• Xhosa.Gender.genderD.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.inanimate
• Xhosa.Gender.genderE.status = Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.animal

def Xhosa.humanCanonical : Bantu.NPStack

Sample nP structure for a [human] noun in its canonical class 1/2. E.g. umntwana 'child': [n₁/₂ √MNTWANA] — single layer.

Equations

• Xhosa.humanCanonical = { visibleClass := 1, coreClass := 1, status := Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.human }

def Xhosa.humanInClass3 : Bantu.NPStack

Sample nP structure for a [human] noun in non-canonical class 3/4. E.g. umgewu 'criminal': [n₃/₄ [n₁/₂ √GEWU]] — stacked.

Equations

• Xhosa.humanInClass3 = { visibleClass := 3, coreClass := 1, status := Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.human }

def Xhosa.humanInClass5 : Bantu.NPStack

Sample nP structure for a [human] noun in non-canonical class 5/6. E.g. ibutho 'warrior': [n₅/₆ [n₁/₂ √BUTHO]] — stacked.

Equations

• Xhosa.humanInClass5 = { visibleClass := 5, coreClass := 1, status := Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.human }

def Xhosa.animalCanonical : Bantu.NPStack

Sample nP structure for an [animal] noun in its canonical class 9/10. E.g. indlovu 'elephant': [n₉/₁₀ √DLOVU] — single layer.

Equations

• Xhosa.animalCanonical = { visibleClass := 9, coreClass := 9, status := Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.animal }

def Xhosa.animalInClass1 : Bantu.NPStack

Sample nP structure for an [animal] noun in non-canonical class 1a/2a. E.g. unonkala 'crab': [n₁/₂ [n₉/₁₀ √NONKALA]] — stacked.

Equations

• Xhosa.animalInClass1 = { visibleClass := 1, coreClass := 9, status := Bantu.GenderStatus.interpretable Bantu.SemanticCore.animal }

def Xhosa.Gender.toGender : Gender → _root_.Gender

Map Xhosa gender classes to the shared surface-level gender type. Gender A (cl1/cl2, human) → animate; all others → inanimate. Xhosa's finer-grained semantic cores ([animal] for E, [inanimate] for D) are captured in GenderStatus, not at the Gender level.

Equations

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