Lesson 20 : Vikolwa via (verbs of) Lulogooli

Doing words (Vikolwa) of Logooli

Discussion

Verbs are “Vikolwa” in Lulogooli. Vikolwa is synonym to “acts”. They are words that identify action. 

“Vikolwa” of Lulogooli are many as sampled in chart Ileseni 20a. They include; “kola” for do, “heenza” for look, “hiiva” for loud shouting and “huumbukiilila” for jumping into a situation. 

Some are short while others are long. The short ones include one syllable verbs as “va” for “be” while there are also long verbs like “fweenzekeelela” for “be depressed”. 

The structure of a verb is “Rw+Ve” to mean that there are two main parts in a verb. The first is the permanent part known as “Root word(Rw)” and the second is a changeable “Vowel end(Ve)”. 

The verbs “Va” and “Fweenzekeelela” can also be written as “ve”, “vi” and “fweenzekeelele”, “fweenzekeeleli”. The end vowels “a, e, i” express tense; present, future and past respectively. 

Also, the verbs of Lulogooli follow the Consonant+Vowel(C+V=CV) structure format. The words “va” and “fweenzekeelela” are of structures “CV and CCVVCCVCVVCVCV” respectively.

A verb can also start with a vowel. Examples are “ogiza” for wash, “ona” for sin, “amba” for come, “ina” for dip and “uma” for dry. Random speech in imperative application sometimes prefixes with semi-vowel “y/h” as in “yona” for sin. In structural writing it is unwelcome.

Whenever one is causing the action to self, Ululogooli prefixes the verb with letter “i”. A verb as “isiinga” is from verb, “siinga” for bath or wash body. Same as “ikuba” for “beat self” from verb “kuba” for “beat”. 

For the reflex verbs (doing to self) above, a verb whose root starts with vowel “i” will similarly be prefixed with reflex “i” as “iiluka” for run from self, “iikalila” for sit on your self. A noun of noun class prefix “i” as “ingoko” if it runs from itself is “iiiluka”, three vowels at start of word.

In Logooli lexicon listing, letter “S” has the highest number of words (verbs). Verbs that begin with vowels are few as well as of letters “b”, “ch” “p” and “z”. 

Exercise

1. Read picture verbs of Chart Ileseni 20a.
2. Add 20 verbs at your notebook as in Chart Ileseni 20b. 

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Action and doer in Lulogooli

A word in Lulogooli as earlier introduced, is a product of coagulation. This means that different morphemes are joined to a root word to clarify as well as expand meaning in writing.

A verb in Lulogooli writing can only be written alone (in the format Rootverb+Verb ending) when preceded by a noun or indefinite pronoun and only when imperative.

The examples for the above are; “Baaba lya” (Father eat), “Linyonyi buluka”(bird fly), “Muana eya”(child sweep) and more others.

The above, imperative, are said there and then in direct (quoted) speech. However, writing mainly captures reporting, “Baaba alya”(Father (he)eat), “Linyonyi libuluka”(the bird (it)flies), “Muana ueya”(child (that) sweep) respectively.

The supporting pronouns “a,li,it” serve the purpose of identifying position and also number of nouns. A change to “Baaba ulya” would mean “a second position father” while “Muana moeya” is “a child that is tasked by sweeping”.

Often, words and sentences may not include the noun or the indefinite pronoun. But there will always be the pronouns, that forms parts of a word in agglutination. They are; “n, ku, u, ko, mo, mu, a, va” as outlined in charts Ileseni 20da to 20dh.

First person singular and plural are represented by morphemes “n” and “ku”, Second person singular and plural, “u” and “mu”, third person “a” and va” respectively.

The remainder “ko” and “mo” morphemes represent passive states of “second” and “third” person singular. They are commonly applied when a word has two pronoun morphemes. An example word is “mumonweeki” that translates “He was beaten by you” or “You beat him”.

Exercise

1. Read aloud the pronoun morphemes in the verbs as highlighted in Charts Ileseni 20da – 20dh.
2. Write in your notebook different verbs done by different persons in their number and positions.

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Action doer and receiver in Lulogooli

The above people morphemes can be found 'twice' in a word. That is a person can be doing an action to self or to another, can be doing to others or others can be doing to a person. 

In such a scenario where more than one person (pronoun) is used in a word, the doer morpheme starts. This doer is also known as the subject while the receiver of action an "object". This is as shown in Table Chart Ileseni 20e. 

Example word is; "Unkubi" for "you beat me". In the sentence, letter "u" is for "you" pronoun while letter "n" for "me". The verb, "beat" then follows. 

The order for the action word is therefore: "Who is doing + Who is being done to + What is the action being done". In other words it is "Subject + Object + Verb". 

More examples are given for the lessons charts Ileseni 20e1 to 20e36. 

Exercise

1. Read aloud words as constructed in charts Ileseni 20e1 to 20e36
2. Using your own common verbs, write example words for different doers and receivers of action. 

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Actions between people and non living things

Action can also be between a person and a "thing". A 'thing' in this sense is that without human description. They are represented by noun class references.

The person can be singular or plural (persons). When singular the applied references are “n, u, a & mo”  and when plural “ku, mu & va”.

The above represents noun classes 1{mu} and 2{va} respectively. The noun classes 3{gu} to 19{gu} are for things.

Example word is “akiyaanza” for “he like it” or “Kimoyaanza” for “It like him”. Whereas the “ki” noun reference does not change between subject and object, the person does (from “a” to “mo”).

Charts Ileseni 20fa to 20fd shows the interaction between person(s) and thing(s). Where person(s) are doing to the thing(is), the former is the subject while the latter is object. And vice versa.

The things, as referenced by noun classes 3{gu} to 19{gu}, do not have place change in the references as is in the case of noun classes 1 and 2.

Actions to each other, whether happening here, near or away remain using the very reference. Perhaps if adverbs of location are added in the sentence.

Charts Ileseni 20fa to 20ff illustrate the combinations of thing(things) to thing(things) in an action case.

Exercise

1. Read aloud the subject/object combinations of lessons above.
2. Identify verbs of your own and include after the given combinations in Chart Ileseni 20ff. 

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Time of action in Lulogooli

Actions also indicate the time of happening. This assists the listener or the reader to know if to anticipate an action or if it has already happened.

Logooli verbs in writing can be able to indicate present, future and past moments of an action. This is by finishing an action words with letters “-a”, “-e” and “-i” respectively.

Verbs “-kol.a, -kol.e & -kol.i” are example cases for “do now, do later, did”. The structure is “root verb+time”.

When actions are continuous, the time marker is doubled to “.aa, .ee, .ii” as in the examples “kolaa, kolee & kolii” respectively. The charts Ileseni 20ga to 20gj illustrate with examples.

The time markers can be equated to English suffixes as: a=do/does, e=to do, i=did, finished. The present tense takes suffixes “-s/-es” while the past takes “-ed”. The middle future is “will/may/can/shall” as the speaker or reader informs. 

Exercise

1. Read aloud the verb charts of Ileseni 20ga to 20gj
2. For every chart, replace the root verbs with different verbs of your own

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Additional considerations for time in Logooli verbs

Earlier above at Ileseni 20g we had observed that a verb ending can either be “-a”, “-e” or “-i” to mark when an action is happening. Now, later or already happened consecutively.

Yet in agreement with that, there are other “tense markers” that can come early. These had already been hinted in Ileseni 10 and elaborated in Lesson 12.

A doing word is achieved by noting the early tense marker and the last one. For the early tense markers also communicate the three times of now, later or past.

It would be that the early tense markers having already determined time, the end vowels assist in putting specificity.

For instance, a word “kulazye” for “we will go” has both early and end tense markers – ku.”la”.zy.”e”. The “la” morphemes marks future time while “e” also marks future time.

In such a case, it would mean the action “will” happen in “future” indefinite. Indefinite is because “e” is open to a futuristic moment of the future. Had it been “a” for “kulazy.a”, it’d be definite because “a” is for stem action.

There being time within time in Logooli verbs is the reason the charts of Ileseni 20i have been illustrated as seen.

For the listed past, present and future markers as of Ileseni 12 before and chart Ileseni 20i, the times have been further broken down into specific moments that helps a writer clarify time to a reader.

Exercise

1. Write down and note the early and end verb tense markers
2. Using your own pronominals, write a verb word capturing different early and end tenses

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Verbifying of Logooli nouns

There are instances when nouns of Lulogooli adjust to verb use. This syntax dependent noun-verbing only happens when the root of the noun is prefixed and ended as verbs above. 

A word as “nguz.a” means “vegetable”. Commonly known as a noun, “zinguza”(vegetables), the word “nguz.a” is best defined as “used/apply as a vegetable”. 

In a sentence case, “Zingoko zinguzikaa muvugeni” means ‘hens are used as vegetables in parties’. 

If it were a person zooming as a car(mudoga), the word is “adogaa”(doing as a car). Or if it were a behavior as of a monkey(kikoondo), the word is “akoondaa”(being monkeyish). This is explained at charts Ileseni 20ja, 20jb and 20jc. 

This verbifying(kukolekiza) of a noun only takes the root part of the noun. Which is added “-a” to make it a stem verb. See mudoga(car) – dog.a, imbiimbu(cane) – mbiimb.a, vuchima(ugali) – chim.a and more. 

So that if you say another food else has “-chim.a” characteristic, it means it is either of corn, cooked by smearing and turning, has a rough texture and more. A sentence case is “Vusela vuchimi” for “the porridge thickened”.

 

Secondary to that is that the new verb can be prefixed and suffixed as would be any other verb. The word “alichiminya” is “he will make ugali”. Another “uainguza” is “you made it vegetable”. This is also illustrated at Chart Ileseni 20jd. 

With this we have widened the the Logooli collection of verbs, taking root nouns and logically creating related action. 

Exercise

1. Identify ten common nouns you know of and list their root words
2. With the root words above, write sample verb words, both with fewer and more affixes

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Opposites of Logooli verbs

A doing word of Logooli can have an opposite (kiamugoongo). The opposite word helps the writer undo an action or express the otherwise, in an expected plot.

"Kiamugoongo" is from the noun, "mugoongo", the backside. "Of the back" is "Kia mugoongo". It is colloquail to what happens otherwise or in reverse. 

In chart Ileseni 20ka, the giraffe is tall (iitaambihi) while the dog is short (iimbihi) in comparison. The egg is round (livoyong'anu) while the ruler flat (ibaamiku). These are some of the ways of expressing opposite in Lulogooli. 

If one is crying(alilaa) when she was to laugh (seka), it can also come out as ironical. This adds to the writing styles of Lulogooli. 

A verb can have several opposites depending on context. Eat (lya) can have the cook/prepare (deeka) opposite or be hungry (va na inzala). Walk (geenda) can have its opposite as run(nyagula), crawl(moola), fly(buluka) or stuck(ikala) and more. 

Chart Ileseni 20kb lists only a few verbs and their opposites to start us. 

Exercise

1. In your notebook, please list 20 common verbs and write their opposites
2. For each of the listed opposite, what other verb of Logoli would repace ir in a different context?

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Verbs of Lulogooli can also double the root and form words as “sekaseka”(seka-laugh), “gumilagumila”(gumila-touch), “kalakala”(kala-cut). 

When this happen, it means the action is repeating. This is same as inflection “-lil-“ as in lesson 20h.

A little difference can however be observed; “sekaseka” can be equated to “laugh and laugh” on a positive note. But “sekilila” can be equated to “keeping at laugh”, a less positive action. 

With tense change, it is expected that the first verb in the doubling can have a different tense from the last. An example is “sekaseki” (sek.a.sek.i). 

Having earlier discussed in tenses that it is the last vowel that defines time of action, “-i” end vowel puts the word above in past tense. It would mean the action happened actively at a past time. 

Also when nouns are formed from double verbs, it would consider the tenses. A person who is fond of laughing becomes “musekaseki” while that who is a potential (future) fond laugher is “musekeseke”.

Exercise

1. Write down 10 double verb words different from Chart Ileseni 20l. 
2. Consider different times of action and rewrite the verb words above. 

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