hu-

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "hu"

Swahili

Other scripts
Ajami هُـ

Etymology 1

A lenited, fused form of ni ku- (“is ing”).

Prefix

hu-

  1. habitual aspect marker; indicates an action is routine or characteristic[1]
    Jua huchomoza mashariki.
    The sun rises in the east.
    • 2022, Muungano wa Tanganyika na Zanzibar: Chimbuko, Misingi na Maendeleo, Serikali ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, →ISBN:
      Ni dhahiri kuwa huu ni mfumo unaopendwa kutokana na urahisi katika kuuendesha kwa kuwa huwa na mamlaka moja kuu yenye mtandao mmoja wa uongozi mpaka chini kupitia mfumo wa ugatuzi wa madaraka.
      It is obvious that this system is popular due to how easy it is to run it, as it has one central authority with one leadership network all the way to the bottom through a system of decentralization.
Usage notes

There is no subject concord with this marker. Instead, independent pronouns can be used:

mimi hula ― I usually eat

This is also analyzed as a gnomic marker.[2]

In colloquial speech, this is often replaced by the -na- marker, eventually preceded by huwa (the habitual form of -wa):

huwa tunakunywa ― we habitually drink
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.

References

  1. ^ Foreign Service Institute (1966) Swahili: An Active Introduction: General Conversation, US Department of State, page 44
  2. ^ Dorothee Rieger (2011) “Swahili as a Tense Prominent Language: Proposal for a Systematic Grammar of Tense, Aspect and Mood in Swahili”, in Swahili Forum‎, volume 18, page 120

Etymology 2

From the same source as ha-.

Prefix

hu-

  1. you do not, 2nd person singular negative subject concord
    Antonym: u-
    • 18th century, Abdallah bin Ali bin Nasir, Al-Inkishafi‎, translation from R. Allen (1946) “Inkishafi—a translation from the Swahili”, in African Studies, volume 5, number 4, →DOI, pages 243–249, stanza 11:
      مُيُ وَاغُ نِنِ هُزُدُكَانِ ، لِكُغُرِيِلُ هِيْلَ نِنْنِ ،
      Moyo wangu nini huzundukani, likughuriyelo hela ni-n'ni?
      Soul, why not awake? Hi! what is it that cheats you?
See also
Swahili personal pronouns (m-wa class(I/II))
Number Person Independent Subject concord Object concord Combined forms Possessive
affirmative negative na ndi- si-
Singular First mimi ni- si- -ni- nami, na mimi ndimi, ndiye simi, siye -angu
Second wewe u- hu- -ku- nawe, na wewe ndiwe, ndiye siwe, siye -ako
Third yeye a-, yu- ha-, hayu- -m-, -mw-, -mu- naye, na yeye ndiye siye -ake
Plural First sisi tu- hatu- -tu- nasi, na sisi ndisi, ndio sio -etu
Second ninyi m-, mw-, mu- ham-, hamw-, hamu- -wa- nanyi, na ninyi ndinyi, ndio sinyi, sio -enu
Third wao wa- hawa- -wa- nao ndio sio -ao
Reflexive — — -ji- — —
For a full table including other classes, see Appendix:Swahili personal pronouns.

Welsh

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *su-.

Pronunciation

Prefix

hu-

  1. affirmative prefix, emphasises prefixed word

Derived terms

Welsh terms prefixed with hu-

References

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “hu-”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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