monna wa ka
The phrase monna wa ka is how you say "my husband" in Sepedi.
This phrase is used to refer to the man to whom a person is married.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of monna (man), wa (of) and ka (me/my).
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive particle wa is used because monna belongs to the Class 1 noun group, which uses the possessive concord wa for singular ownership.
Did you know?
- In many Sepedi-speaking communities, a wife might avoid using the name of her husband directly, instead using terms like monna wa ka to show respect.
- The word wa shares a distant ancestral root with the Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a, showing how these grammatical markers have survived for millennia.
- The word ka serves as the possessive marker for 'me' but is also used in Sepedi to indicate the instrument used to do something, such as 'by means of'.
Examples in context
- Monna wa ka o a bereka.My husband works.
- Ke rata monna wa ka.I love my husband.
Example conversation
Tshepiso is introducing her husband to Thabo.
- ThaboKe mang yo yo?Who is this person?
- TshepisoYo ke monna wa ka, Thabo.This is my husband, Thabo.
- ThaboDumela, monna wa Tshepiso.Hello, Tshepiso's husband.
- TshepisoO hlomphega kudu, Thabo.You are very respectful, Thabo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries wa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
