Detail #102: First and Second Person and a Noun Class System

A language with a noun class system such as that of the Bantu languages could imaginably have the first and second person fall outside of the noun class system in some way - quite obviously, first and second person are somewhat exceptional referents.

Thus, one could easily imagine a language with Bantu-style verb congruence to entirely lack congruence for first and second person:

Ta-kulu ta-pade - IV.chieftan IV.rule - the chieftan rules
Ne-kume ne-kpeŋdu tu-hirin - III.village III.host II.prophet - the village hosts a/the prophet
É gbile tu-hirin - I doubt II.prophet
Su ragan ta-hixlo - You hate IV.king

However, first and second person may sometimes interact with noun class marking. This is especially common with constructions amounting to 'as a ...':

gi ta-kulu ta-é inki-i ta-humesxa : as IV.chief IV.I not.(intense) IV.tolerate/approve

'as a chieftain, I do not approve'.

If the identification is hypothetical, the pronoun does not, however, acquire class marking - the verb in these cases acquires an irrealis marking, however:

gi ta-kulu é inki-i an-humesxa : as IV.chief I not.(intense) irrealis.approve

'as a chieftain, I would not approve'

This type of marking can also appear on objects, whenever the object is an object due to some specific thing it is:

ba-kpappi tu-tí  tu-muda f-tu-pade tu-ahid : 3pl(human)-beat II.you II.son gen.II.chieftain II.other

they beat you (because you are the) son of another chieftain