Grapheme [i] and its uses in Lulogooli

 

Letter [i] in Lulogooli has several uses. The letter can be written in its short vowel form, "i" or long form "ii". Sometimes this letter is taken as "e" or presumed to have two or more sounds in Lulogooli, yet for grammatical purposes it is important to denote with [i]. The following are some of the ways that grapheme [i] is applied in Lulogooli. 

1. As vowel sound <i>. Examples include:

• inama bend
• gumila catch
• kilala one

2. As Noun Class 9{i} identifier. It denotes singularity. The plural to these nouns are identified in noun class 10{zi}. 

• inyaambu chameleon
• isyoongo water fetching pot
• imbili front

3. As noun class agreement. This is where the noun class syllable ends with letter [i]. Sometimes it is taken to serve as an article "a" or "the". 

• ikilavu the white
• ilivuyu an egg
• izinguvu clothes

4. As a marker for continuing tense. This is when the preceding letter is [i]. In Lulogooli tense follows subject in the order of morphemes in a word. 

• ziikoli they(cows) have done
• kiivuli it(stick) has not
• liigoni it(goat) has slept

5. As a past tense marker. This is by taking the last position at a verb-word end. 

• akubi s/he beat
• egoni it slept
• gugwi it fall

6. As a reflex indicator. This is when an activity is bedone to a subject. 

• ikuba beat self
• igumira touch self
• iinama bend to self

The above are likely to explain the basic use of grapheme [i] in Lulogooli. But it does not distinguish the two or more <i> articulants of the same. Keep reading the blog for more information on the same.