User:Tbm/Swahili/Instructions/Nouns

The Google Sheets spreadsheet has the following columns:

Singular
This is provided. You have to fill in information about this noun.

If you're not familiar with the noun, simply skip this line and leave all boxes empty. Do not guess.

Plural
Enter the plural of the noun.

If there is no plural, enter

If the noun is plural only, enter  into the box.

If you're unsure about the plural, leave the field empty.

Noun class
A drop-down list is provided for the noun class. We use these noun classes.

The only exception are proper nouns (like names), which don't have a noun class. For those we indicate "proper noun".

Etymology
If you you know where the noun comes from, you can enter it here. If you're not sure, simply leave this box empty.

If the word is from English, write "English" or write "English" followed by the English word (for example, "English bicycle" for "baiskeli").

If the word is from Arabic, write "Arabic". You don't need to provide the Arabic word.

If the word is a compound (e.g. mwanakondoo), write the two compounds separated by the plus symbol.

If the word is from a verb, simple write the verb stem (i.e. ).

Translation
Enter the English word in this box.

If there are multiple translations with a similar meaning, separate them by comma. If there are multiple different meanings, separate them by semi-colon.

In some cases, an English translation can have multiple meanings and more information needs to be provided; you can provide that in parenthesis.

Comment
Generally, leave this field empty.

However, you can enter a comment if you have some information or comment that should be reviewed by someone else (e.g. you're not sure about a sense or there is something unusual, such as multiple plural forms and noun classes).