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Classroom:The word KU in Runyankore-Rukiga

This page was created as an in-classroom exercise in LING 2208, NTNU


Author: Franciane Rocha

Author: Misah Natumanya


This page examines the grammatical function of the word "ku" in Runyankore-Rukiga. The data is the result of typecraft's phrase search done on March 18, 2011.


KU as a word in Runyankore-Rukiga can work as:

1. A conjunction
Ku naahikire ahari Butunduuzi, emotoka ereemerera obwe ku baabarareebaga emotoka ereemerera baija kureeba omufu!
“When i arrived at Butunduuzi, and then whenever the car stopped, they would come to see the dead-person.”
Ku
ku
when
CONJ
naahikire
naahikire
1SGPASTrmreachPFV
V
ahari
ahari
IVatSPTL
ADJatt
Butunduuzi
butunduuzi
 
Np
emotoka
emotoka
IVcar
N
ereemerera
eraemerera
AGRPTCPstopFV
V
obwe
obwe
then
CONJ
ku
ku
when
CONJ
baabarareebaga
baabarareebaga
3PLPASTrm3PLPTCPseeFVEMPH
V
emotoka
emotoka
IVcar
N
ereemerera
ereemerera
AGRPTCPstopFV
V
baija
baija
3PLcomeFV
V
kureeba
kureeba
INFsee
V
omufu!
omufu!
IV1the-dead
 


2. A complementizer
Angira ati ku turaareebe yaarugamu, na boyoofiisi agyenzire nawe, nk'oku ashangwa amutwara obundi tuzemu twihemu obusente bw'okurya.
“He told me that when we see him getting out with the officeboy, like how he normally does, perhaps we should go in and get some little money to eat.”
Angira
angira
3SG1SGtellFV
V
ati
ati
that
CONJS
ku
ku
if
COMP
turaareebe
turaareebe
1PLPRESseeSBJV
V
yaarugamu
yaarugamu
 PREScomeFVLOC
V
na
na
with
PREP
boyoofiisi
boyoofiisi
officeboy
N
agyenzire
agyenzire
3SGgoPFV
V
nawe
nawe
withhim
PN
nka
nka
like
PRT
oku
oku
how
ADVm
ashangwa
ashangwa
3SGfindPASSFV
V
amutwara
amutwara
3SGSBJ3SGOBJtake 
V
obundi
obundi
perhaps
ADVm
tuzemu
tuzemu
1PLgoSBJVLOC
 
twihemu
twihemu
1PLgetSBJVLOC
V
obusente
obusente
IV14money
N
bwa
bwa
of
PREP
okurya
okurya
IVINFeatIND
 


3. An adverb


Function NUMBER OF TOKENS
CONJ 38
COMP 05
ADV 02


In Runyankore-Rukiga,the word KU appears in both initial and medial positions of a sentence.

KU- Initial position

KU- Medial position
Akangambira ku naija nyenkyakare
“He/she told me that he/she will come tomorrow”
Akangambira
akangambira
3SGIV1SGtellAPPLIND
V
ku
ku
that
COMP
naija
naija
3SGcomeIND
V
nyenkyakare
nyenkyakare
tomorrow
ADVm


The word KU can have at least three meanings, they are:

WHEN
Omwana ku areeba abantu omu katare baatandika kwija, we nyina ayeyongyera kuba busy aramanya ngu baakasitoma baayeyongyera,
“When the child saw every one in market starting to come, meanwhile the mother was thinking that the customers were increasing”
Omwana
omuana
IV1child
N
ku
ku
when
CONJ
areeba
areeba
3SGseeFV
V
abantu
abantu
IV2people
N
omu
omu
in
PREP
katare
katare
market
N
baatandika
baatandika
2PASTimbeginFV
V
kwija
kwija
INFcomeFV
V
we
we
she
PN
nyina
nyina
mother
N
ayeyongyera
ayeyongyera
3SGcontinueFV
V
kuba
kuba
INFbe
COP
busy
busy
busy
V
aramanya
aramanya
3SG knowFV
V
ngu
ngu
that
CONJ
 
muena
1all
QUANT
baakasitoma
baakasitoma
2customer
N
baayeyongyera
baayeyongyera
2PASTimincreaseFV
V


THAT
Akangambira ku naija nyenkyakare
“He/she told me that he/she will come tomorrow”
Akangambira
akangambira
3SGIV1SGtellAPPLIND
V
ku
ku
that
COMP
naija
naija
3SGcomeIND
V
nyenkyakare
nyenkyakare
tomorrow
ADVm


IF
Angira ati ku turaareebe yaarugamu, na boyoofiisi agyenzire nawe, nk'oku ashangwa amutwara obundi tuzemu twihemu obusente bw'okurya.
“He told me that when we see him getting out with the officeboy, like how he normally does, perhaps we should go in and get some little money to eat.”
Angira
angira
3SG1SGtellFV
V
ati
ati
that
CONJS
ku
ku
if
COMP
turaareebe
turaareebe
1PLPRESseeSBJV
V
yaarugamu
yaarugamu
 PREScomeFVLOC
V
na
na
with
PREP
boyoofiisi
boyoofiisi
officeboy
N
agyenzire
agyenzire
3SGgoPFV
V
nawe
nawe
withhim
PN
nka
nka
like
PRT
oku
oku
how
ADVm
ashangwa
ashangwa
3SGfindPASSFV
V
amutwara
amutwara
3SGSBJ3SGOBJtake 
V
obundi
obundi
perhaps
ADVm
tuzemu
tuzemu
1PLgoSBJVLOC
 
twihemu
twihemu
1PLgetSBJVLOC
V
obusente
obusente
IV14money
N
bwa
bwa
of
PREP
okurya
okurya
IVINFeatIND
 


MEANING NUMBER OF TOKENS
When 36
That 06
If 01
Lack meaning 12
"KU meaning IF"
POS tag NUMBER OF TOKENS
COMP 01
"Ku meaning WHEN"
POS tag NUMBER OF TOKENS
CONJ 30
COMP 03
REL 01
Lack 02
"KU meaning THAT"
POS tag NUMBER OF TOKENS
CONJ 04
COMP 01
ADV 01