In an earlier lesson we began to look at some of the verb extensions or infixes that exist in Lingala. In this lesson we again look at some verb extensions, the first of which is the reciprocal or –an-.
In English we may often use a verb and indicate it is done to each other, this is reciprocal action. In Lingala we use the –an– extension to create this same effect. Notice some examples below:
| tomonanaka | we always see each other | we always see each other |
| likambo oyo ezali koyebana | this thing is known | thing this it is known to each other |
| baninga balinganaka | friends that always love each other | friends they are always loving each other |
As in the examples above we can see the usefulness of this extension. It allows us to involve two or more subjects in a sentence equally. The structure is also simpler than it is in English.
In the second example above we use the –an– extension to show that the knowledge of it is known to everyone involved. This can be used generally, to refer to someone who is famous, or to people who are acquainted with each other.
In the other examples the idea is more simple. In fact is is used in an expression when leaving someone who you will see again:
tokomonana
Here it means simply that we will see each other again.