Chapter 38 - The Prepositional Form

The prepositional derivation has an attributive, instrumental, or locative value.

It also allows a transitive verb, i.e. a verb which has already got a complement object, to receive a 2^nd complement or ATTRIBUTE. This attribute will be present as an object infix inside the verb construction, and be possibly doubled by the noun attribute which will be placed between the verb and the noun object in the sentence. Here is an example to illustrate this phenomenon :

Mama anapika chakula	Mother is cooking food
Mama anawapikia watoto chakula	Mother is cooking food for the children

In English, the noun attribute is introduced by a preposition (though not always), hence the term "PREPOSITIONAL" or "PREPOSIONAL FORM" retained to describe this type of derivation. Others prefer the term "ATTRIBUTIVE".

The prepositional derivation is characterized by the addition of the suffix -IA or -EA, (or even -LIA, -LEA), at the end of the verb radical, to replace the termination -A.

 1. SOME VERBS IN THE PREPOSITIONAL FORM : 

1. When the verb radical ends in a consonant + A :

   (a) If the vowel of the radical is A, I or U, the final -A is replaced by the suffix -IA :

   Kuandika	to write	-> Kuandikia	to write to / for
   Kuacha	to leave	-> Kuachia	to leave to / for
   Kufanya	to make, to do	-> Kufanyia	to make for
   Kupata	to get, to obtain	-> Kupatia	to obtain for
   Kupita	to pass	-> Kupitia	to go past
   Kutupa	to throw	-> Kutupia	to throw to

   
   

   (b) If the vowel of the radical is E or O, the final -A is replaced by the suffix -EA :

   Kuleta	to bring	-> Kuletea	to bring to / for
   Kusoma	to read	-> Kusomea	to read for

   
   

2. When the verb radical ends in a sequence of two vowels :

   (a) If the vowel of the radical is A, I or U, the final -A is replaced by the suffix -LIA :

   Kuzaa	to give birth	-> Kuzalia	to bear someone a child
   Kufagia	to sweep	-> Kufagilia	to sweep for
   Kukimbia	to run	-> Kukimbilia	to run towards / after
   Kuchagua	to choose	-> Kuchagulia	to choose for
   Kuchukua	to take	-> Kuchukulia	to take for

   
   

3. (b) If the vowel of the radical is E or O, the final -A is replaced by the suffix -LEA :

   Kulea	to bring up	-> Kulelea	to bring up for
   Kupokea	to receive	-> Kupokelea	to receive for
   Kuondoa	to withdraw	-> Kuondolea	to withdraw for / to

   
   

4. Verbs of Arabic origin ending in -E, -I and -U take the suffix -IA :

   Kujibu	to answer	-> Kujibia	to answer to / for
   Kurudi	to return	-> Kurudia	to return to
   Kusalimu	to greet	-> Kusalimia	to give regards to
   Kusamehe	to forgive	-> Kusamehea	to forgive to

   
   

5. Verbs of Arabic origin ending in -AU, take the suffix -LIA :

   Kudharau	to scorn	-> Kudharaulia	to have contempt for
   Kusahau	to forget	-> Kusahaulia	to forget to

   
   

6. NOTES :

• Some verbs already possess a prepositional meaning in their basic form :

  Kuambia	to tell (to)
  Kuingia	to enter
  Kupa	to give (to)
  Kuuliza	to ask (to)

  
  

• Monosyllabic verbs take the suffix -IA or -EA. Therefore they become disyllabic verbs and lose the KU of the infinitive when conjugated :

  Kula	to eat	-> Kulia	(smth) to eat
  Kunywa	to drink	-> Kunywea	(smth) to drink

  
  

• Some verbs acquire a new meaning in their prepositional form :

  Kuamka	to wake up	-> Kuamkia	to greet
  Kufika	to arrive	-> Kufikia	to reach
  Kuhama	to emigrate	-> Kuhamia	to move in, to immigrate
  Kunuka	to smell bad	-> Kunukia	to smell good
  Kutenda	to treat badly	-> Kutendea	to treat well
  Kutuma	to send, to employ	-> Kutumia	to use

  
  

• A number of nouns of Arabic origin can be made into verbs with the addition of a prepositional suffix :

  Faida	profit	-> Kufaidia	to benefit
  Huruma	pity	-> Kuhurumia	to have pity of
  Huzuni	sorrow	-> Kuhuzunia	to feel sorrow for

 2. PARTICULAR USES OF THE PREPOSITIONAL FORM : 

1. The prepositional form used in conjunction with MBALI (= far) carries the idea of utter separation :

   EXAMPLES :

   Tupia mbali makopo haya mabaya !	Throw away these bad preserves !
   Yaachilie mbali mawazo haya !	Give up these ideas !
   Tulikatie mbali tawi hili !	Let's cut off this branch !
   Ziondolee mbali nguo hizi !	Get rid of these clothes !

   
   

2. An infinitive verb in the prepositional form, introcuced by the connective -A, indicates the purpose or destination of something (instrumental value) :

   EXAMPLES :

   Kisu cha kukatia nyama	A knife for cutting meat
   Fedha za kununulia nguo	Money to buy clothes
   Chumba cha kulia	The dining room
   Maji ya kuogea	Water for the bath

 3. DOUBLE DERIVATION : 

Prepositional derivation + Passive derivation :

1.  

   Basic form :	Alisoma kitabu	He read the book
   Prepositional form :	Alinisomea kitabu	He read me the book
   Passive form :	Kitabu kilisomwa naye	The book was read by him
   Prep + Pass form :	Mimi nilisomewa kitabu	I was read the book

   
   
   

2.  

   Basic form :	Nimenunua sukari	I have bought sugar
   Prepositional form :	Nimewanunulia sukari	I have bought them sugar
   Passive form :	Sukari imenunuliwa	The sugar has been bought
   Prep + Pass :	Wamenunuliwa sukari	They have been bought sugar

   
   
   

3.  

   Basic form :	Mwizi ameiba mkoba	The thief has stolen the bag
   Prepositional form :	Mwizi ameibia mzungu mkoba wake	The thief has stolen the white man his bag
   Passive form :	Mkoba umeibwa	The bag has been stolen
   Prep + Pass form :	Mzungu ameibiwa mkoba wake	The white man has been stolen his bag

 4. SOME EXAMPLES : 

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1 : Put the verbs in the prepositional form :

Kununua, kupika, kufungua, kukata, kulia, kutafuta, kutaka, kuona, kuruka, kutengeneza, kusalimu, kuimbia, kutia, kukimbia, kula, kujenga, kuhama, kupata, kushona, kuita, kudharau, kupiga picha, kuzuia, kucheka, kuoga.

EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :

1. Mama anawasomea watoto hadisi nzuri.
2. Nikupikie chakula ?
3. Unakitakia nini kisu hiki ?
4. Natafuta kisu cha kuchinjia mbuzi.
5. Nisalimie Baba na Mama na ndugu zangu.
6. Ndege alirukia upesi juu ya mti.
7. Fatuma amemrudia mme wake.
8. Kamba hizi kama ni za kujengea, hazitafaa.
9. Atatuharibia furaha yetu na huzuni yake.
10. Bidii yako itakufaidia siku moja.
11. Vibarua wamemlimia shamba lake.
12. Lete kamba ya kufungia mbwa.
13. Uninunulie mkate na maziwa.
14. Mtoto mdogo alimkimbilia mama wake.
15. Hamisi alimwendea daktari.