-iwa

Swahili

Suffix

-iwa (mid vowel harmony variant -ewa)

  1. Alternative form of -wa used after a stem ending in -l-, -w-, or -y-, with borrowed verbs ending in -u, and in monosyllabic verbs
    ‎-tawala (“to rule”) + ‎-iwa → ‎-tawaliwa (“to be ruled”)
    ‎-jaribu (“to try”) + ‎-iwa → ‎-jaribiwa (“to be tried”)
    ‎-la (“to eat”) + ‎-iwa → ‎-liwa (“to be eaten”)

Usage notes

Which vowel harmony variant is used in monosyllabic verbs depends on etymology. The verbs -la and -cha take -iwa, while -nya, -nywa, and -pa take -ewa.

Derived terms
  • Swahili passive verbs
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