Talk:imbongi

isimbongi

Copied from "Wiktionary:Etymology scriptorium/2017/July#isimbongi"

If there are any Zulu speakers out there, isimbongi could do with some help. It appears as Word of the Day in September. (Also, I can only find citations for the plural form, izimbongi, and not the singular isimbongi.) — SGconlaw (talk) 08:10, 28 July 2017 (UTC)

Quick check of a trusted dictionary plus a sweep of Google gives imbongi as the isiZulu singular (class 9) form with izimbongi as the class 10 plural. User:MDCorebear (talk)

Yeah, it looks like isimbongi is an English creation, probably an incorrect back-formation from the plural izimbongi. The real Zulu singular is imbongi. —CodeCat 20:34, 22 August 2017 (UTC)

I've created a Zulu entry now. —CodeCat 20:41, 22 August 2017 (UTC)

Could you please edit the etymology section of isimbongi to note this erroneous construction, together with a reference to the trusted dictionary? Also, given what you've found, is it still correct to say izimbongi is the plural form of isimbongi in English? — SGconlaw (talk) 01:56, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ @Metaknowledge, you created this entry. However, I can't seem to find any quotations supporting isimbongi as a singular form in English. I can only find izimbongi as a plural form, presumably of imbongi. The OED only lists imbongi and not isimbongi. Do you have any objections if I delete isimbongi, and instead create izimbongi as a plural of imbongi? Note that the word is scheduled to appear as the Word of the Day on 22 September 2017. (@CodeCat, for your information and comments, if any.) — SGconlaw (talk) 02:51, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

Nope, just a mistake. Thanks for fixing it. —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 04:29, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

OK, thanks for confirming. I'll proceed as indicated above, then. — SGconlaw (talk) 04:32, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ @CodeCat, MDCorebear, Metaknowledge, could you please check the plural forms iimbongi and izimbongi to see if I got the etymologies correct? According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, the prefix iim- is Xhosa while izim- is Zulu. — SGconlaw (talk) 16:19, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

That's indeed the case. —Rua (mew) 16:37, 18 September 2017 (UTC)