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The morpheme -KU- in Runyankore-Rukiga.

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Author: Misah Natumanya

This page examines the grammatical function of the morpheme "KU-/-KU-" in Runyankore-Rukiga. The data is the result of typecraft's phrase search done on April 09, 2011.

The morpheme -ku- is an interesting affix and occupies different morphological positions with different meanings in Runyankore-Rukiga.

"KU" An infinitive Marker: Here it occupies either the medial position(-KU-) or the initial position(KU-). It is usually proceeded by a verb stem.

KU as an infinitive marker
Buri kureeterwa kuriya nirwo rurikukutangirira, obumuri buriho ku orikureetwa kuri nibwo burikukutangiira na n’ebyombeko nabyo tibirikureebeka kubi.
“Every time you come from that direction, its the compound that attracts you. the flowers are available when you are coming from there its the flowers that attracts you and even buildings are not bad.”
Buri
buri
every
DET
kureeterwa
kureetererwa
INFariseFV
V
kuriya
kuriya
INFthereDIST
DEM
nirwo
nirwo
isEMPH11 
PNana
rurikukutangirira
rurikukutangirira
11isPRESINF2SGwelcomeFV
V
obumuri
obumuri
IV14flower
N
buriho
buriho
14PRESthereLOC
V
ku
ku
when
CONJ
orikureetwa
orikureetwa
2SGPRESINFbringPASSFV
V
kuri
kuri
15there
DEM
nibwo
nibwo
isEMPH14 
PNana
burikukutangiira
burikukutangiira
14PRESINF2SGwelcomeFV
V
na
na
with
PREP
n’ebyombeko
n’ebyombeko
andIV8building
N
nabyo
nabyo
and8 
PNana
tibirikureebeka
tibirikureebeka
NEG8PRESINFbe-seenFV
V
kubi
kubi
INFbad
ADVm


KU as a Spatial proximal suffix or locative marker
Enjangu neirukanga omu nju, eza oku n’oku nk’eine eki ehiigire.
“The cat is running the whole house as if it is hunting something”
Enjangu
enjangu
IV9cat
N
neirukanga
nieirukanga
PROG9runINTS
V
omu
omu
IVinSPTL
PREP
nju
nju
9house
N
eza
ezaa
9goFV
V
oku
oku
IVhereSPTL
DEM
n’oku
n’oku
andCONJIVhereSPTL
DEM
nk’eine
nk’eine
REL9have
 
eki
eki
what
REL
ehiigire
ehiigire
9huntPROG
V


KU as a Spatial proximal prefix as well as a noun class (CL 17) marker

KU as a Class prefix marker for noun class (CL15) o-ku-guru(leg)
Nitureeba embwa neeyongyeza sipiidi, obwo erikubanza yaasindikisa akagaari okuguru kumwe.
“We see the dog increasing speed by pushing the bicycle-like instrument with one leg first.”
Nitureeba
nitureeba
PROG1PLseeFV
V
embwa
enbwa
IV9dog
N
neeyongyeza
neeyongyeza
PROG9increaseFV
V
sipiidi
sipiidi
speed
N
obwo
obwo
when
CONJ
erikubanza
erikubanza
9CONDINFbe-firstFV
AUX
yaasindikisa
yaasindikisa
9PASTimpushINSTRFV
V
akagaari
akagaari
IV12bicycle
N
okuguru
okuguru
IV15leg
N
kumwe
kumwe
15one
QUANT


KU as an object pronoun marker
omushaija ogwo akaija kukufubira
“That man came to punish you.”
omushaija
omushaija
IV1manFV
N
ogwo
ogwo
IVAGRMEDIAL
DEM
akaija
akaija
3SGPASTrmcomeFV
V
kukufubira
kukufubira
OBJINFpunishIND
V


References