Inflection of Verbs — Introduction and Stems

§123–137. INFLECTION OF VERBS §123. GENERAL STRUCTURE Every Umbundu verb form consists of: 1. SUBJECT PREFIX (pronominal/personal prefix agreeing with subject) 2. TENSE/ASPECT MARKER (a for past; ka for future; absent for present) 3. OBJECT INFIX (optional, for direct object) 4. VERB STEM (radical) 5. FINAL VOWEL (modifiable by tense and mood) 6. EXTENSIONS (derivational suffixes: causative -isa, passive -iwa, etc.) §124. THE VERB STEM The stem (radical) is found by removing oku- from the infinitive: oku-feta (pay) → stem: -feta oku-mona (see) → stem: -mona oku-ipa (kill) → stem: -ipa The stem is also the 2nd person singular IMPERATIVE: mona! = see! (thou) feta! = pay! (thou) §125. CLASSES OF VERBS REGULAR verbs: polysyllabic, stem begins with consonant, ends in -a. Full regular paradigm applies. IRREGULAR verbs: 1. Stems beginning with a vowel (contraction with prefix) 2. Stems ending in vowel other than -a 3. Monosyllabic stems (often defective) 4. Particles used as auxiliary verbs: ha, li, na, kasi §126–137. DERIVED VERB FORMS From each verbal stem, up to six forms can be derived: FORM 1 — SIMPLE (basic meaning): oku-mona = to see FORM 2 — CAUSATIVE (suffix -isa): oku-monisa = to cause to see, to show, to make see oku-fetisa = to cause to pay, to make pay oku-kuatisa = to help to catch; to catch with (associative causative) FORM 3 — PASSIVE (suffix -iwa): oku-moniwa = to be seen oku-kuatiwa = to be caught oku-ipwa = to be killed FORM 4 — RELATIVE / APPLICATIVE (suffixes: -ela, -ila, -ola, -oka, -ula, -uka): oku-monela = to look at, to look for (relative of oku-mona) oku-lavela = to watch over, to spy (relative of oku-lava = guard) oku-lavoka = to wait for, to hope for (another relative of oku-lava) oku-tapula = to row a canoe (relative of oku-tapa = fetch water) oku-ikula = to open (opposite relative of oku-ika = to close) NOTE: Relatives in -ula, -ulula often express the REVERSE of the simple: oku-kuta (tie) → oku-kutula (untie) oku-ika (close) → oku-ikula (open) oku-penga (bend) → oku-pengulula (straighten) oku-tunga (build/do) → oku-tungulula (undo, destroy) FORM 5 — REFLEXIVE (prefix li- inserted after subject prefix): oku-li-mona = to see oneself, to look at oneself oku-li-veta = to strike oneself; to strike each other (reciprocal) oku-li-sola = to love oneself FORM 6 — FREQUENTATIVE / HABITUAL (reduplication of stem): oku-mona-mona = to see habitually, to keep seeing oku-veta-veta = to keep striking, to beat repeatedly oku-popia-popia = to speak habitually COMBINATIONS: Two or more forms may be combined: oku-li-vetisa = to cause to strike each other (reflexive + causative) oku-sindikila = to accompany (causative-relative of oku-sindika = lead)