Kunama                               English:

                        ta                                         death/to

                        / ta                                      the death ..

                        - ta                                      dog

                        / ta                                      the dog

                        ^ ta                                     food

                        ' ta                                       the dog

                        ^ ta                                     to put in/into

NB. For details on these symbols, see the following pages on accentuation or intonation.

A Kunama word can have three, four or even more meanings depending on where the accent or the intonation is laid upon.

The following accentuation or intonation symbols are used to identify the different meanings of a Kunama word.

                                              (  -  )

                                              (  /  )

                                              (  ^  )

                                              (  '  )

A Kunama word without any of these symbols of accentuation or intonation upon it, has a flat sound.

       E g. ta  = death/to die.

With the symbols ( - ) upon, a word is pronounced with a rather high pitch of voice.

       E g. -  ta  = dog.

The symbol  (  /  )  gives a word a higher sound, determines and defines it.

       E g. / ta ka koda = the dog is man's  friend.

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With the symbol (  ^  ) on, a word gets a much higher sound.

       E g.  ^ ta  =  food.

The accentuation symbol (  '   ) gives a word, the highest sound as well as it defines and determines that word.

       E g.  '  ta kolima kulabbu kongandada  =  the food, after been cooked, is to be consumed.

NB: The use of these accentuation or intonation symbols has to be restricted to and adopted

       only for the Kunama language analysis purposes.

The Kunama words, phrases, sentences and the whole of the Kunama language is based on accentuation or intonation in order to carry its message across.

       Accent, as defined in Oxford Advanced Learner's  Dictionary of Current English is: "the prominence given to a syllable by means of stress or intonation".

As already pointed out, a Kunama word can carry many different meanings depending on the

"stress or intonation"  laid upon that particular syllable or word.

It is, therefore, very important for a non-native learner or speaker of the Kunama language, to be able to identify as well as put the stress on the right syllable or word in order to avoid mis-

understandings.

The followings are some guidelines on and keys to the stressing patterns in Kunama language.

The same above-adopted accentuation or intonation symbols are used here too.

·         a).- A Kunama word without any of such symbols, retains its original meaning.

Eg.  akka  =  my child.

·         b) - The stress laid upon the first syllable of the same word, alters its grammatical

meaning.

Eg.  ' akka  =  our child.

·         c) - That same word gets a defining function when the stress falls upon its last syllable.

Eg.  ak ' ka  iddira  =  my child is brave.

Retaining still its plural case, that word can also have a defining function  when the accentuation symbol is laid upon its first and the last syllble.

       Eg.  ' ak ' ka   fadaba   =   our child is clever.

NB. In kunama sentences, the verb  "to be  =  kosa",  is never expressed.

Usually, the stress laid upon the last syllable of the Kunama words made up of two syllables

and followed by a noun, indicates a possessive case.

       E g.  abisha  u ^ la  =  a man's  body;

       afanga  se ^ sa  =  my grandmother's  goat.

NB.  The main stress is laid upon the possessed object, not on the possessor.

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The following series of examples are intended to clarify this, rather complicated, but of

significant importance accentuation patterns of the Kunama language.

Kunama.                             IPA transcript:                           English:

aba                                      aba                                             I

aba                                      a ' ba                                          I (specifying)

aba                                      ' aba                                           to lead/conduct .

                                  E g. tena aba nalike                               I cooked this meal;

                                          a ' ba  enakin anda                        I am older/bigger than you;

                                          arkubenassi 'aba kebo                    conduct this camel.

eta                                     - e:ta                                             mother/father-in-law

eta                                     - e: ' ta                                        the mother/father-in-law

eta                                     ' e:ta                                            eagle

eta                                    ' e: ' ta                                          the eagl (specifying)

eta                                    ' e ^ ta                                     buy (imperative; you plural)

                         E g. - e:teasi kajjaloda                   have regard for your mother-in-law

                    - e::' ta  darka nunga       one's mother-in-law is the mother of one's  wife;

                            dora  ' e:tasi kailona                     the chicken is afraid of the eagle;

                            ' e: ' ta dorae nausuna                   the eagle assaults the chickens.

                           nna dorena  ' ke ^ ta                     buy (you plural)  this chicken;

ita                                    ita                                          circumcision

ita                                    i ' ta                                       the circumcision

ita                                    ' ita                                        house

ita                                    ' i ' ta                                     the house

ita                                    i ^ ta                                   buy (imperative: you singular).

E g. tama ita fanaka                                                     now is the circumcision time;

   i ' ta  Kunamela kofurdama                 circumcision is celebrated in the Kunama society

 Kisha  i' ta Are lagala doda          female circumcision is forbidden in European countries;

E g.  ' ita  kaue kakida                                                    visit me at home;

   ' i ' ta  lushidada                                                         the house has to be clean;

     ' ita  tama ki 'ta                                                         buy a new house;

oina                             oina                                                     let me pull

oina                            - oina                                                    after/because of that

oina                            oi ^ na                                                   alive/live

oina                            oi ' na                                                    that

oina                            ' oina                                                     that one there.

E g.  auibu kirena oina                                                             let me pull this rope;

       ingki   - oina   kulabbu gada                                            eat, after that go:

       tamarga  oi ^ na  kibingke                                               he cought a live hare;

       oi ' na  sananga                                                                that is my job/work;

      ' oi ' na  aisha                                                               that one there is my younger brother.

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Kunama:                        IPA transcript:                                English:

uda                                 uda                                              door

uda                                 u ' da                                           the door

uda                                 uda                                              mouth

uda                                 u ' da                                            the mouth

uda                                 u: ' da                           say (imperative form; you singular);

uda                                 ' u:da                                             wood/timber

uda                                 ' u: ' da                                           the wood/timber.

E g. uda andoa oikeda                                                          open the gate;

  u ' da  dima kosendada                                               the door has to be kept closed;

       uda kibake                                                                     my moth aches;

       u ' da  aurasi                                                                  the mouth is for talking;

      uinumeki  u: ' da                                                              talk, do not keep quiet;

      ' u:da  kitakko                                                               buy some wood;

   ' u: ' da  ^ ta  lasi                                            the wood/timber is (used) for cooking;

The following examples are intended to demonstrate how the shifting of the stress on the same Kunama words can imply, not only different meanings, emphasis and grammatical changes but also possessive cases.

Kunama:                                   IPA transcript:                      English:

bia                                              bia                                        water

bia                                              bi ' a                       the water (and possessive case)

bia                                              ' bia                                      worm

bia                                         ' bi ' a                                   the worm (and possessive)

E g. kakisha bia kogoshake                                   a human being needs water;

       ngora  bi ' a  lusha                                        the rain water is clean;

      b ' i ' a   gallala fausuna                                 the worms abund in the rainy season;

dora                                           do: ^ ra                   chicken

dora                                            do: ' ra                    the chicken (and possessive)

dora                                            ' dora                       to put/lay down

dora                                            ' do ' ra                    the putting/laying down

E g.  do: 'ra  ita shurka                                                 the chicken is a domestic bird; 'dora kidoro                                                                 put it down;

   ita  'do: 'ra  bila  - do:rakin  akkaila                       the domestic chicken is more afraid than the wild chicken;

fila                                               fi: ^ la                            mouse

fila                                               fi: ' la                              the mouse (possessive)

fila                                               ' fila                                 swelling

fila                                           ' fi ' la                                  the swelling (possessive)

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E g.  fi: ^ la  tamargakin damada                            the mouse is smaller than the hare;

adaba  ' fi: ' la   ashada                                           autumn's  mouse is fat;

minda fi ' la  kongadina                                           the swelling of one's leg is painful.

Kunama:                                   IPA transcript:                           English:

kasa                                           ka: ^ sa                 stomach/belly

kasa                                           ka: ' sa                   the stomach/belly

kasa                                           ' kasa                     answer

kasa                                           ' ka' sa                   the answer

E g.  ka: ^ sa  kibake                                              my stomach-aches;

       ka ' sa  ubburamala taggima                          the belly is heavy when it is full:

  nakokelama aminno  ka ' sa  asomma        why did you not answer when I asked you?

mala                                          ^ ma:la                        property

mala                                          ^ ma: ' la                     the propety

mala                                          ' mala                           to finish/end

mala                                          'ma ' la                         the end

Eg.  ka abura  ^ ma: la artina                           a rich man possesses a lot of property;

 ka ^ ma: ' la   ambonume                                do not damage one's  property;

      nna sanena     ki ' ma ' la                             finish this work;

  ' mala  niddiganumala asasa                             tell me when you are about to finish

More of such examples could be given, but it suffices to state that, a non-native learner and speaker could deepen his or her knowledge of the phonetics and semantics of the Kunama language based on these stressing or intonation patterns.

       Kunama, like the Italian language, has the doubling of letters and sounds.

This means that, a word spelled with two consecutive consonants has a prolonged sound.

E g.

Kunama:                                           Italian:                                    English:

godda                                                 freddo                            sitting           cold

latta                                                   lotta                                writing          fight

manna                                               penna                              chief              pen

sakkoda                                             secco                               crash             dry

It is, therefore, very important, for a non-native learner and speaker of the Kunama language, to be able to produce as well as identify such double or prolonged sounds in order to avoid being misunderstood.

       As for the doubling of letters and sounds, the following examples will further show the close graphic and phonetic similarities between the Kunama and the Italian language.

Kunama:                           English:                                 Italian:            English:

abbara                               attention/care                         abbastanza           enough

ekkena                               first                                        ecco qua/qui          here it is

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Kunama:                           English:                                  Italian:             English:

imma                                 to tread on                              gomma                 tire

otta                                    there                                        otto                    eight

ukka                                   urine                                       mucca                  cow

Concluding my short graphic, phonetic and that of the accentuation or intonation patterns of the Kunama language, I would, first of all, like to thank all those fellow-Kunama who had confidence in me and gave me their full and valuable support:

       THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED, GUYS!

Secondly, I would very much appreciate any suggestion and constructive criticism, both from my fellow-Kunama as well as from all those non-native learners and speakers who, ever since, took up the laudable initiative of bringing the written form of the Kunama language up to the present level.

       It is my firm belief that, together, we could give, our mother tongue Kunama, its final graphic and phonetic form.

Let us not be de-motivated by all those who are, nowadays, attempting to undermine the very existence of the Kunama language by, not only suggesting, but introducing the forceful use of the Tigrigna alphabets to write the Kunama language.

       The fact that, because of its simplicity, we are able to use the internationally recognised and adopted phonetic symbols or alphabets, to transcribe each word and the whole of the Kunama language, puts, our mother tongue, in a position to be internationally recognised as well as easily learnt.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ON BEHALF OF OUR KUNAMA PEOPLE!

Pietros Ali Umet Hummad Berlin 30 August 1999.