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The following consonant combinations are also found:
i. Nasal compounds: mp, mb, nt, nd, nc, nj, nk, ng, nf, nv, ns, nz.
When initial the nasal sounds have syllabic value (and tone):
m-pisi (hyena), n-go (leopard)
n-diga (sheep), n-swa (flying ant)
n-kuba (rain), n-te (cow)
n-vunza (jigger), n-ju (house)
m-bwa (dog), n-fudu (tortoise)
n-cukwe (terror), n-zige (locust)

After a vowel the nasal sounds have no syllabic value, but the vowel is always pronounced long (though not written double here):
e-mpisi, e-mbwa, e-nte, etc., bandaba (they see me or they saw me) —not baandaba.
Also:
ku-kumpanya (to defraud), ku-kumba (to show off)
ku-tanda (to stride), ku-tanta (to scatter)
ku-kankana (to shiver), ku-langa (to plait)
munnanfuusi (hypocrite), kifunvu (mound)
ku-myansa (to flash), ku-vunza (to cause to rot)

In the last four cases (i.e. before f, v, s, z), the vowel is usually nasalised and the -n- tends to disappear altogether with some speakers. (Compare French danser, envie, etc.)