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Class 3 singular: izimu (an ogre) > zimu or lizimu) ogre!)
Class 6 singular: unwabu (a chameleon) > nwabu or lunwabu (chameleon!)
To show respect and politeness the vocative E! prefaces greeting in IsiZulu.
(This is the exclamation used in the place of"knocking at the door")
E! Nkosi (0 Chief!)
With certain vocatives a vocative suffix -ndini IS
used to denote threat,
exultation or sarcasm:
Siphukuphukundini (you silly fool!)
Vilandini (you wretched loafer!)
inteIjectively:
Some forms of vocatives that seem to be diminutives are also used
Babashane (oh my!)
Mameshane (oh my!)
Names as vocatives
In Afrikaans and English titles, christian names, surnames, call names and
nicknames are used emotively either as single lexemes or in combinations.
Klopper (undated: 44) mentions a subcategory of names called "noemnrnane"
where a person's first name can take a variety offorms when used by colleagues, family
members, and friends e.g. Petrus can be:
Peterus, Pieter, Piet, Pieta, Pietie, Pietman.
Combrink (1982:9) differentiates between what he calls a conventional name or
"roepnaarn", which indicates the speaker's neutral, normal attitude towards the
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