The hu- / u- verbal prefix

This is the most productive correspondence of shikomori. Every infinitive verb (class 15) takes:

• *hu-* in shiNgazidja and shiNdzuani (and older shiNdzuani)
• *u-* in shiMaore and shiMwali (and modern shiNdzuani)

Conversion is mechanical: add or drop the initial h-. That simple. Quick view in 3.8 — here we systematise and handle exceptions.

Two verbs don't exactly follow the mechanical rule — the root itself varies slightly across dialects:

1. « To go »:

• hwendra (Nz) — with dr (Ahmed-Chamanga, 1992, p. 21)
• uendra (Ma) — with dr too (Nisusoma shimaore booklet, 2019, p. 42)
• hwenɗa (Ng), with implosive ɗ — form to be checked: no shiNgazidja source gives it yet

2. « To sit down »:

• hukentsi (Ng/Nz) — with pre-nasal nk
• uketsi (Ma) — the pre-nasal simplifies to k

Only 2 verbs out of hundreds. For all the others, the rule applies without flinching.

Historical origin: proto-Bantu had a class-15 prefix ku- (still seen in swahili: kusoma « to read »).

• In shiNgazidja, ku- evolved into hu- (palatalisation of k)
• In shiMaore, the k disappeared entirely, leaving only u-

shimwali and modern shindzuani follow shimaoré. Older shindzuani still kept hu-.

A classic case of progressive phonetic erosion of a prefix — a phenomenon seen in many languages (Latin illa → French la, for example).

Last major phonetic rule: shiNgazidja preserves long vowels (written as doubled letters: aa, ee, oo) that the others have contracted. A charming archaism.