[1] In some contemporary languages, such as Masaba, this shape has remained more or less unaltered.
In others, the augment has been reduced to a simple vowel, often the vowel of the following noun class prefix (e.g. in Zulu umu-, ama-), or a lowered variety (Luganda omu-).
In earlier works, it was often compared to a definite article, but its range of use is wider than that.
[2] In Ganda, the augment may indicate definiteness, specificity or focus, but its presence or absence may also depend on syntactic factors.
[2] It is present in simple declarative sentences: omulimifarmeromunenefatomukaddomuold oneagendagoesomulimi omunene omukaddomu {} agendafarmer fat old one goesOne old, fat farmer is going.But it is absent when a noun follows a negative verb: tetulabawe don't seemulimifarmermunenefattetulaba mulimi munene{we don't see} farmer fatWe don't see a fat farmer.In Zulu, the augment is normally present, but it is dropped in cases like the following: