Yimela ngapha

-hambela walk for, walk towards
-vumela agree form
-funela seek, look for = want for

Uyise ufunela abatwanaukudla namaswidi His father seeks food and sweets for the children

NB: also -sholo say for

The applied verb form is used to mean by oneself, alone using the reflexive formative -zi-:

• Ukuzihlalela To sit alone
• Ngizikuzihambelangoba kawufuni ukuhamba nami I will walk alone because you don't want to walk with me

Possesives formed with the applied infinitives qualify an object or place used for a specific purpose - sometimes using the locative of the absolute pronoun:

• Indlu yokudlela A house to eat in
• Yincwadi yokulobela lena This is a book in which to write

A locative after a applied verb means the action is applied to a place or direction:

• Ukubuyela ekhaya To return home
• Umfana wawela emgodini A boy fell in a hole

The passive applied stem is sometimes used idiomatically:

• Umfazi wafelwa ngabantwana bakhe The women's children died for her = her children died
• Washonelwa yilanga esendleleni The sun set for her along the road = while she was on the road dusk fell

With -ni? applied verbs express what for or why:

• Uhamelani? For what = why are you going?
• Bangifunelani? Why do they look for me?

NB: passives formed in the usual way, with patatization .

This page- www.newt.clara.co.uk/isizulu/yimela.htm
8 August 2002