Lesson 26 : Punctuation - Viloohizilu via mang'ood

Sentence punctuation is important in writing. It helps the reader to know when a sentence is beginning, ending or adding more information. And other times it guides on intonation.

The punctuations, like dressing is to the body, are “Visiaha”. Kusiaha is to adorn, to make more appealing. “Visiaha via mang’ooda” apply that the writings are well decorated. 

The “decorations”, important for the writer to consider, include: Iduguda inene, kihagamo, kisooselo, kiteevo, Kihugi, kiduguda, vimolomelo vinene, vimolomelo vike, kitigiki kinene, kitigiki kike, kitavuli kiimbi, kitavuli kitaambi,  kikuumbati, kiganagani, kinazula imbili na vitoovi. 

The above are also listed in chart Ileseni 26 series. 

“Iduguda inene” is a capital letter, used at the opening of a sentence, after a question or exclamation mark or for direct names of things. An example is:

• Leelo ni Jumamoosi

“Kihagamo” is an end marker, a full stop. It is used to end a sentence or in abbreviation. An example is:

• Ntumila ulubabulo mu L.L.P 87 Wodanga. (L.L.P = Lisaandugu lia Posta)

“Kisooselo” is a comma, used for small breaks in a sentence. It is from the verb, “soosa” to mean “take a break”. It is used  as in the example:

• Avaana vaa Igunza ni: Lung’afa, Makuungu, Vuguza, Kavaya, Aliviza na Chanzu. 

“Kiteevo” is from the verb, “teeva”, to ask. This is a question mark that is applied to show query as in the example:

• Uvee na mihiga jianga?

“Kihugi” is from verb, “huga”, to express surprise or a unique sounding. It is the exclamation mark, often used to express vocables, animal jeers or onomatopoeic sounds as in the example:

• Visilili vudiku vizuulaa ziiii! Ziiii!

“Kiduguda”, from verb, “duguda”, is an apostrophe that increasingly applies in direct speech where letters are hardly articulated. In writing, it is important to indicate the absence of the letter as in the case:

• ’sekaa ni’mol’la (I laugh when I see him(the absent “n” for “me” is indicated by apostrophe”)

“Vimolomelo vinene” are “double speech marks” as they are used in identifying or capturing direct words as spoken by a character. 

• Umuigizi avooli, “Kivala kilahi ni kia avandu vaayaanza lisooma.”

“Vimolomelo vike” are “single speech marks”. They are applied when the quoted speech has more information to add, for example:

• Maama avooli, “Kulazya kulola koza mugaamba, ‘kooza ua Imbihi’”. 

“Kitigiki kinene” functions as “colon”. It primarily leads to additional information in  a sentence, mainly a listing of items as in the sentence:

• Aazye mukitu Imudete niagula vindu vinyiingi: Imbaazi, lufunu, zimbiindi, vuuni, zinjeenga na inguungi.

“Kitigiki kike” also a “semi-colon,” functions to put an aaditional part in a sentence, which would otherwise still stand on its own as in example:

• Vana vaeve vaasamula; mulala ayiinzilaa muiselikaali na undi aataangiza viasala vivie.

“Kinazula kiimbi” is also known as a “hyphen.” It is used in separating parts of a word as in example:

• Ling’ana “gumila” litulanaa ku muli, -gumil-.

“Kinazuli kitaambi” is used in adding more information to a sentence, at the middle or in the end as in the example:

• Avasoomi vane – avaavita vulahi – vaakuzya kusoomela ingeleka.

“Kikuumbati,” also “brackets”, help in inserting more in a sentence during writing as in the example:

• Lusoma luitu (Wodanga) luvee na mavugaana manyiingi.

“Kiganagani,” the three dots sometimes added to show the word is cut short or more meaning is intended, is also used in Lulogooli as in the sentence case:

• Baaba avoolaa, “Muheenze imbuli igoti noho leelo…”

“Kinazula imbili” is the “forward slash” that helps in using two words together. The words may agree or not as in the example:

• Niiva/lua ikubaa vukiindu vujila kuo.

“Vitoovi” are from verb, “toova”, meaning “to list”. They can take forma of dashes, pointers, numbering or any other show of listing in writing as in the example:

• Musumaali
• Libaadi
• Lubaaho

Exercise

1. Using your own examples, write two sentences applying each of the punctuations.