ḓani
The Venda verb for 'come' is ḓani.
ḓani is used to express the action of arriving or appearing.
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Did you know?
- If you are telling someone to 'come' from a great distance versus 'come' toward your immediate position, Venda speakers will actually switch to a completely different verb root.
- The verb ḓani changes its prefix entirely depending on whether a human, an animal, or an inanimate object is the one appearing.
- Venda is one of the few languages in Southern Africa that maintains a high degree of tonal distinction, meaning the pitch used when saying ḓani can change the nuance of the action.
Example conversation
Azwathu and Tshikondi are waiting for a friend at a bus stop.
- AzwathuTshikondi, vha ḓani lini?Tshikondi, when are they arriving?
- TshikondiNdi a tou vhona uri vha khou ḓani.I can see that they are appearing now.
- AzwathuVha tshi ḓani, ri vha vhudze.When they arrive, let's tell them.
- TshikondiIi, ri vha vhudze zwinwe.Yes, let's tell them something.
