or _ile_, which is probably connected with the root _li_ or _di_
(_ndi_ or _ni_), which means "to be" or "exist." The initial _i_ in the
particle _-ile_ often affects the last or penultimate syllable of the
verbal root, thereby causing one of the very rare changes which take place
in this vocable. In many Bantu dialects the root _pa_ (which means to give)
becomes _pele_ in the preterite (no doubt from an original _pa-ile_).
Likewise the Zulu _tandile_ is a contraction of _tanda-ile_.

Two other frequent changes of the terminal vowel of the common root are
those from _a_ (which is almost invariably the terminal vowel of Bantu
verbs), (1), into _e_ to form the subjunctive tense, (2) into _i_ to give a
negative sense in certain tenses. With these exceptions the vowel _a_
almost invariably terminates verbal roots. The departures from this rule
are so rare that it might almost be included among the elementary
propositions determining the Bantu languages. And these instances when they
occur are generally due (as in Swahili) to borrowed foreign words (Arabic,
Portuguese or English).[17] This point of the terminal _a_ is the more
interesting because, by changing the terminal vowel of the verbal root and
possibly adding a personal prefix, one can make nouns from verbs. Thus in
Luganda _senyua_ is the verbal root for "to pardon." "A pardon" or
"forgiveness" is _ki-senyuo_. "A pardoner" might be _mu-senyui_. In Swahili
_patani[vs]a_ would be the verbal root for "conciliate"; _mpatana[vs]i_ is
a "conciliator," and _upatani[vs]o_ is "conciliation." Another marked
feature of Bantu verbs is their power of modifying the sense of the
original verbal root by suffixes, the affixion of which modifies the
terminal vowel and sometimes the preceding consonant of the root. Familiar
forms of these variations and their usual meanings are as follows:--

Supposing an original Bantu root, _tanda_, to love; this may become

_tandwa_ . . . . . . . . . . to be loved.
_tandeka_ or _tandika_ . . . to be lovable.
_tandila_ or _tandela_[18] . to love for, with, or by some other person.
_tandiza_ (or _-eza_) \ to cause to love.
_tandisa_ (or _-esa_)[19] / to cause to love.
_tandana_ . . . . . . . . . to love reciprocally.

The suffix _-aka_ or _-anga_ sometimes appears and gives a sense of
continuance to the verbal root. Thus _tanda_ may become _tandaka_ in the
sense of "to continue loving."[20]

The negative verbal particle in the