-ka-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ka"

Sena

Alternative forms

• -kha-

Etymology

Cognate with Tumbuka -ka- (“past tense infix”).

Infix

-ka-

1. Infix for forming the imperfect tense or aspect.

References

• W. G. Anderson (1897), An Introductory Grammar of the Sena Language‎^[1], Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 25

Swahili

Other scripts
Ajami	ـكَـ

Infix

-ka-

1. consecutive marker (indicative and subjunctive)

   walikuja wakala ― they arrived and then they ate

   • 18th century, Abdallah bin Ali bin Nasir, Al-Inkishafi‎^[2], translation from R. Allen (1946), “Inkishafi—a translation from the Swahili”, in African Studies, volume 5, number 4, →DOI, pages 243–249, stanza 17:

     اَسِفِدِ يَبُ اِلاَّ شَقَوَا ، اِكَوَ مَيُتُ يَسِ مْسِيِ

     Asifidi yambo ila shaqawa, ikawa mayuto yasi msiye.

     he gains nought but trouble and endless regret

Conjugation

Conjugation of -ka-

		singular	plural
1st person		nika-	tuka-
2nd person		uka-	mka-
3rd person	m-wa(I/II)	aka-	waka-
	m-mi(III/IV)	uka-	ika-
	ji-ma(V/VI)	lika-	yaka-
	ki-vi(VII/VIII)	kika-	vika-
	n(IX/X)	ika-	zika-
	u(XI)	uka-	see n(X) or ma(VI)
	ku(XV/XVII)	kuka-
	pa(XVI)	paka-
	mu(XVIII)	mka-

For more information, see Appendix:Swahili verbs.

See also

Swahili TAM markers

• Initial
  • Positive infinitive: ku-/kw-¹
  • Negative infinitive: kuto-
  • Habitual: hu-¹
  • Telegrammic: ka-¹
• Final
  • General (positive indicative): -a
  • Positive subjunctive: -e
  • Negative present: -i
  • Second person plural: -ni
• Infix position positive subject concord
  • Positive past: -li-
  • Positive present: -na-
  • Positive future: -ta-
  • Negative subjunctive: -si-¹
  • Positive present conditional: -nge-
  • Negative present conditional: -singe-
  • Positive past conditional: -ngali-
  • Negative past conditional: -singali-
  • Gnomic: -a-¹
  • Perfect: -me-
  • "Already" past: -lisha-
  • "Already" present: -mesha-/-sha-
  • "If/When": -ki-¹
  • "If not": -sipo-
  • Consecutive: -ka-¹
• Infix position negative subject concord
  • Negative past: -ku-¹
  • Negative future: -ta-
  • "Not yet": -ja-¹
  • Negative present conditional: -nge-
  • Negative past conditional: -ngali-
• Relative
  • Past: -li-
  • Present: -na-
  • Future: -taka-
  • Negative: -si-

¹ Can take stress and therefore does not require -ku-/-kw- in monosyllabic verbs.

Tumbuka

Etymology

Cognate with Sena -ka- (“Continuant past infix”).

Infix

-ka-

1. Forms the past tense in verbs.