The Phonemes of Swahili

 

1

in the corner
cat
it soars
rubber
beach

where
fool
he was paid
new

three
watch
bed
child

carry ye
he called us

carry him
he will go
pillow
wax

 

2

paper
mast
notebook
coat

divorce
garden
sultan

noise
knife
to leave something
tail
monkey

sheep
to look
to destroy
he will die
arm

noise
woman
jail
poor man

leap!
interpreter
in-law
ship

 

3

luck
steal
box
big
business

devil
maybe

far
dog

sister
medicine
small
maybe
sport

small
to go out

he was conquered

taste!
to taste
stranger

scorpion

divide ye
to divide
back
pig
drill

 

4

open
to wipe
ditch
broom
obstinate
notebook
flute

two (chairs)
you were born
salt
white

dodge!

speak!
I read
church
pistol
obstinate
friend
to pray
it's cooked

half
enough

kidney

farm
throw
pay
it was sunk

 

5

coat
wind

my
to be born
old person
I began
they were sold
name of an island

mother

week
to know
city
come
it was broken

in front
to take
take him
head

if it happens
to eat
door
I was
devil

sultan
olive oil
Thursday
Delagoa

jump
to jump
return ye

 

6

inside
frog
flute

bathroom
slowly
trumpet
sport

good
husband

ditch
rains

mountain

law

end
I called him

daytime
city
I don't get up
to wring

he saw me
to build
France
country
I began
to break
four
very

 

7

he was seen

bird

monkey

to wait
wait for him

drum
country

snake
to shave
a tree
mouth
drink ye!

these
to move
scarf
he goes

story
determined

I think
wind

language
expensive
I fooled him

 

8

to teach
sense
extravagant
sultan's house
holiday

good deed

judge
sense
aggressive

there
all
that it be
our
to stay
life
step
swim
let me
he cries
write him
little table
this
to understand it

new
business
health
quick
white

 

9

if I see
creature
you will look for it
be seated

I'm not
that it be
they were eaten
he's not drunk
whose
he is drunk
it isn't
that it be
medicine
he doesn't marry
take him out
to marry
I don't know

take him

take

my
our
all
ink

carry ye
he is called
they are conquered

beach
he was paid

 

10

mine
box
big
dog
drill
it was built
child
remember
drink
drink ye
clean
it was cooked
follow
it was sewed
it was sold
it was broken
head
frog
one goes

creature

he built
I have
I didn't forget
one bends down

one goes
I don't believe you
one goes out
to create

bathroom
devil

 

11

give it
to pay

he calls
to weep
he kills it

to answer
call
sing
to conquer

to steal
weapon

that
go down

men

dirty
create
he built

                from Structural Linguistics by Z.S. Harris


Previously unpublished (1991)

Return to Poetry index

Return to Freebase Accordion