Bantu languages & conjunctive noun phrases

[Xephyr]

Yo, I've been wondering about Bantu languages' noun classes and noun phrases having more than one argument, which aren't in the same class. In Romance languages we got the "50 women and a rooster rule" where mixed groups are masculine if there's a masculine element-- e.g. "Las cincuenta mujeres y el gallo son gordos"--, but how does it work in Bantu? So, like, in Xhosa woud it be "umntu nenja batya ukutya" or "umntu nenja zatya ukutya" (the man and the dog ate the food)? The former's verb has the subject concord of the plural of "umntu" and the latter of the plural of "inja"*. Is there a general hierarchy indicating which noun class "overrides" the others in conjunctive** noun phrases, or something?


* - nenja = na + inja
** - I have no idea what the correct term for these are

[merijn]

Yo, I've been wondering about Bantu languages' noun classes and noun phrases having more than one argument, which aren't in the same class. In Romance languages we got the "50 women and a rooster rule" where mixed groups are masculine if there's a masculine element-- e.g. "Las cincuenta mujeres y el gallo son gordos"--, but how does it work in Bantu? So, like, in Xhosa woud it be "umntu nenja batya ukutya" or "umntu nenja zatya ukutya" (the man and the dog ate the food)? The former's verb has the subject concord of the plural of "umntu" and the latter of the plural of "inja"*. Is there a general hierarchy indicating which noun class "overrides" the others in conjunctive** noun phrases, or something?


* - nenja = na + inja
** - I have no idea what the correct term for these are

There are several principle in play in Bantu languages, and languages differ in this respect. I think it is relatively well-desribed aspect of the Bantu grammar, and I do recall seeing several articles about it (mainly when I was looking to something else). I can't speak for Xhosa, and not even for Zulu (the Bantu language I know most about), for the exact details but these are generally principles that apply:
1) the first noun triggers the subject agreement. so your sentence would be: umntu nenja watya ukutya. Here watya agrees with umntu. Note that it is the singular agreement.
2) the last noun triggers agreement, in this case it would be "umntu nenja yatya ukutya". again, singular agreement
3) if both of the nouns are humans, than noun class 2, of humans is used so if you would say "the person and the woman eat the food" you would say, "umntu nomfazi batya ukutya"
4) If both of the nouns are things than noun class 10 is may be used So if you would say, "the thing and the house ate the meal" than you could say "into nendlu zatya ukutya" (I am not completely sure about this strategy.)
5) A default noun class (in Zulu and probably in Xhosa ku-) is used. Your example would be "umntu nenja kwatya ukutya"