Sesotho Web : Deverbatives

Certain nouns are formed in Sesotho by using verbs as stems and adding prefixes to them.

PERSONAL
The first kind of deverbatives refer to people. Here are some examples:

Original verb	Translation	Noun	Translation
bapala	play	sebapadi	player
bina	sing	sebini	singer
eta	travel	moeti	traveler/visitor
haha	build	sehahi	builder
kopa	ask	mokopi	beggar
kula	being sick	mokudi	patient
lema	plough	molemi	farmer
ngola	write	mongodi	writer
nyala	marry	monyadi	groom
nyalwa	being married	monyaduwa	bride
oka	nurse	mooki	nurse
pheha	cook	sephehi	cook
qapa	compose	seqapi	composer
reka	buy	moreki	buyer
reka	buy	morekisi	seller
rena	govern/reign	morena	chief/king
ruta	preach/teach	moruti	preacher/teacher
thusa	helper	mothusi	helper
tsoma	hunt	setsomi	hunter

The prefix mo- usually indicates that it is a person, yet se- is used when refering to an expert of specialised person in a particular field (the verb ending -a is then usually changed to -i but there are exceptions like "morena").

NON-PERSONAL
This kind refers to nouns that do not refer to people. Examples are:

Original verb	Translation	Noun	Translation
apara	dress	diaparo	clothes
bina	sing	pina	song
bina	sing	mmino	singing/music
bitsa	call	lebitso	name
eta	travel	dieta	shoes
fa	give	mpho	gift
fiela	sweep	lefielo	broom
fofa	fly	sefofane	airplane
ipona	to see oneself	seipone	mirror
ja	eat	dijo	food
ja	eat	sejana	plate
lema	plough	temo	agriculture
ngola	write	lengolo	letter
ngola	write	mongolo	handwriting
phela	live	bophelo	life
rapela	pray	thapelo	prayer
rata	love	lerato	love
sebetsa	work	mosebetsi	work
shapa	hit	tjhapo	punishment
thunya	shoot	sethunya	gun

A number of shifts in sounds may also occur in the creation of deverbatives. This includes a shift from a b to a p (bina>pina); f to ph (fa>mpho); h to kg (hamela>kgamelo); l to t (lema>temo); r to th (rapela>thapelo); sh to tjh (shapa>tjhapo).