mi-

See also: mí-, mì-, and Appendix:Variations of "mi"

Languages (33)

Beembe • Bemba • Bende • Chichewa • French • Fwe • Hehe • Japanese • Kambera • Kongo • Lakota • Lala-Bisa • Matengo • Mbukushu • Ndamba • Nkoya • Nyungwe • Phuthi • Punu • Shona • Sundanese • Swahili • Talinga-Bwisi • Ternate • Tocharian B • Tonga (Malawi) • Tsonga • Tumbuka • Venda • West Makian • Yao • Ye'kwana • Zulu

---

Page categories

Beembe

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Bemba

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 simple noun prefix.

Bende

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

References

• Yuko Abe (2006), A Bende Vocabulary‎^[1], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page v

Chichewa

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi/

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French mi (“middle”), from Old French mi, mie (“middle”), from earlier *miei (compare lit, liet < *lieit), from Latin medius (adjective), medium (noun).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi/

Prefix

mi-

1. half, mid-

   à mi-chemin ― halfway

   à mi-voix ― in a low voice (literally, “in a half-voice”)

   mi-amer ― bittersweet

Derived terms

French terms prefixed with mi-

mi-bas

mi-chemin

mi-clos

milieu

mi-long

mi-figue mi-raisin

minuit

mi-parcours

parmi

mi-temps

• mi-parti

See also

• demi
• midi
• moitié

Further reading

• “mi-”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• im-

Fwe

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀-. Compare Swahili mi-.

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix (plural of mu-).

Hehe

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 simple noun prefix.

See also

• imi- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Japanese

Romanization

mi-

1. Rōmaji transcription of み

Kambera

Pronoun

mi-

1. second person plural nominative proclitic

See also

Kambera pronominal clitics

			nominative	genitive	accusative	dative
singular	first person		ku-	-nggu	-ka	-ngga
	second person		mu- (u-)	-mu	-kau	-nggau
	third person		na-	-na	-ya	-nya
plural	first person	inclusive	ta-	-nda	-ta	-nda
		exclusive	ma-	-ma	-kama	-nggama
	second person		mi- (i-)	-mi	-kami (-kai)	-nggami (-nggai)
	third person		da-	-da	-ha	-nja

Kongo

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀-.

Prefix

mi- (singular n'-, singular mu-)

1. class 4 noun prefix
2. class 4 subject concord

Lakota

Prefix

mi-

1. my; first person singular possessive marker, used with some kinship terms and some words for body parts

Synonyms

• see mitȟá-

Lala-Bisa

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 simple noun prefix.

References

• Arthur Cornwallis Madan (1908), Lala-Lamba Handbook: A Short Introduction to the South-Western Division of the Wisa-Lala Dialect of Northern Rhodesia with Stories and Vocabulary‎^[2], Oxford Clarendon Press, page 11

Matengo

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

References

• Nobuko Yoneda (2006), A Classified Vocabulary of the Matengo Language‎^[3], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page xi

Mbukushu

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

References

• R.C.Wynne (1980), English-Mbukushu Dictionary‎^[4], Avebury Publishing Company Limited, page xvii

Ndamba

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Nkoya

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Noun

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Nyungwe

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Phuthi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-mɪ̀-.

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Punu

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

References

• Yasutoshi Yukawa (2006), A Classified Vocabulary of the Punu Language‎^[5], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page iii

Shona

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

References

• M. Hannan, S.J. (1984), Standard Shona Dictionary: Revised Edition with Addendum‎^[6], Harare College Press, page x

Sundanese

Etymology

From Old Sundanese mi-. Analyzed as combination of N- +‎ pi-. Compare Indonesian memper-.

Prefix

mi- (Sundanese script ᮙᮤ-)

1. Active of pi-

Derived terms

Category Sundanese terms prefixed with mi- not found

Further reading

• D. K. Ardiwinata (1984) [1916], Ayatrohaedi, transl., Tata Bahasa Sunda (ILDEP)‎^[7] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, translation of Elmoening Basa Soenda pikeun pangadjaran di sakola2, djiiid I, page 95
• "mi-" in Maman Sumantri; Atjep Djamaludin; Achmad Patoni; R.H. Moch. Koerdie; M.O. Koesman; Epa Sjafei Adisastra. (1985), Kamus Sunda-Indonesia [Sundanese-Indonesian Dictionary] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Department of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia

Swahili

Alternative forms

• (before e) my-

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀-.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Prefix

mi- (singular m-)

1. mi class_(IV) noun prefix and adjective agreement prefix, denoting plurals of m class_(III)

   miti mirefu ― tall trees

   ‎mfano (“example”) → ‎mifano (“examples”)

   ‎muhindi (“maize plant”) → ‎mihindi (“maize plants”)

   ‎mwili (“body”) → ‎miili (“bodies”)

Usage notes

If an adjective starts with i, the two is are merged to one:

‎mi- + ‎-ingine (“other”) → ‎mingine

Before e, the form my- is used. This does not apply to nouns.

See also

• Appendix:Swahili noun classes

Talinga-Bwisi

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Ternate

Etymology

Cognate with Tehit m- (“first-person plural exclusive prefix”).

Pronoun

mi- (Jawi مي-)

1. first-person plural exclusive clitic, we
2. first-person plural exclusive possessive pronoun, our

   Synonym: mia-

3. (feminine) third-person singular possessive pronoun, her

See also

Ternate personal pronouns

		independent		subject proclitic	possessive
		informal	formal
singular	1st person	ngori	fangarem, fajaruf	to	ri
	2nd person	ngana	ngoni, jou ngoni	no	ni
	3rd person	unam, minaf		om, mof, inh	im, mif, manh
plural	1st person inclusive	ngone		fo	na, nga
	1st person exclusive	ngomi	fangare ngomim, fajaru ngomif, fara ngomi1	mi	mi, mia
	2nd person	ngoni		ni	na, nia
	3rd person	anah, enanh		ih, nh, yoh, †, yanh, †	nah, ngah, manh

• unmarked pronouns are gender non-specific
• m - masculine, f - feminine, h - human, nh - non-human
• 1 - for mixed-gender groups
• † - archaic

References

• Frederik Sigismund Alexander de Clercq (1890), Bijdragen tot de kennis der Residentie Ternate, E.J. Brill
• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001), A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Tocharian B

Verb

mi-

1. to hurt, harm (grievously)

Tonga (Malawi)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀- (“Class 4 noun prefix”).

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefixes.

Tsonga

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-mɪ̀-.

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Tumbuka

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀-

Noun

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Venda

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *gɪ́-mɪ̀-.

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

West Makian

Etymology 1

Cognate with Ternate mi- (“our”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi/

Pronoun

mi-

1. first-person plural exclusive possessive prefix, our

Etymology 2

Pronoun

mi-

1. (animate) alternative form of ma- (“his, hers, that being's”) when preceded by a root-initial i

See also

West Makian personal pronouns

		independent	possessive prefix
1st person singular		de	ti
2nd person singular		ni	ni
3rd person singular		me	mVan., dVinan.
1st person plural	inclusive	ene	nV
	exclusive	imi	mi
2nd person plural		ini	fi
3rd person plural		eme	di

V indicates the expected assimilated vowel of the following noun,
following standard West Makian vowel harmony.

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982), The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[8], Pacific linguistics

Yao

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀-

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 noun prefix.

Ye'kwana

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mi-]

Prefix

mi-

1. Allomorph of m- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant.

Inflection

Ye'kwana personal markers

	pronoun	noun possessor/ series II verb argument		postposition object		series I verb argument
						transitive patient	intransitive patient-like		intransitive agent-like	transitive agent
first person	ewü	y-, ∅-, ü-, u-1						w-, wi-
first person dual inclusive	küwü	k-, kü-, ku-, ki-								k-, kii-, ki-1
second person	amödö	ö-, öy-/ödh-, o-, oy-/odh-, a-, ay-/adh-							m-, mi-
first person dual exclusive	nña	y-/dh-, ch-, ∅-, i-1			chö-	∅-	n-, ni-
third person	tüwü					n-, ni-
distant past third person		—				kün-, kun-, kin-, ken-, küm-, kum-, kim-, kini-
coreferential/reflexive	—	t-, tü-, tu-, ti-, te-				—
reciprocal	—	—	öö-
With following vowel lengthened if in an unreduced open syllable.

	series I verb argument: transitive agent and transitive patient
first person > second person	mön-, man-, mon-, möm-, möni-
first person dual exclusive > second person
second person > first person	k-, kü-, ku-, ki-
second person > first person dual exclusive
third person > any person X …or… any person X > third person	see person X in the chart above

Zulu

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mɪ̀-.

Prefix

mi-

1. Class 4 simple noun prefix.