Breakdown of Wakulima walipata mbolea kupitia hisani ya serikali.
ya
of
mkulima
the farmer
kupata
to receive
serikali
the government
mbolea
the fertilizer
kupitia
through
hisani
the donation
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Questions & Answers about Wakulima walipata mbolea kupitia hisani ya serikali.
What does the prefix wa- in Wakulima signify?
Wakulima breaks down as wa- (the class 2 human plural prefix) + -kulima (agentive from the verb lima, “to cultivate”). So wakulima literally means “cultivators,” i.e. farmers (plural).
How is the verb walipata constructed?
walipata = wa- (subject prefix “they,” class 2) + -li- (past tense marker) + -pata (verb root “get/receive”). Altogether walipata means “they got” or “they received.”
Why isn’t there an object marker in walipata mbolea?
Object markers (for example, -i- for class 9 objects) are typically used when the object is definite or pronominal (“… got it”). Here mbolea (“fertilizer”) is an indefinite, non-specific noun, so no marker is needed. If you wanted to say “they got it (the fertilizer),” you could say waliipata mbolea, inserting -i- before pata.
Why does mbolea stay the same in plural, and how do we tell it’s singular here?
mbolea belongs to noun class 9/10, which often has identical singular and plural forms. Context determines number. In this sentence it’s uncountable or singular (“fertilizer” as a substance). If you meant different packages or types, you might say mbolea nyingi (“many fertilizers”).
What role does kupitia play, and could we use kwa instead?
kupitia is a prepositional verbal noun meaning “through” or “via.” It emphasizes the channel or means (“through the government’s generosity”). Kwa can also convey “by means of,” but kupitia is more precise when you want “through” in the sense of “by way of.”
What does hisani mean, and what noun class is it?
hisani means “aid,” “grant,” “donation,” or “generosity.” It’s a borrowed noun in class 9, so its singular and plural forms are both hisani.
Why is the connector ya used before serikali, and why doesn’t serikali change?
In genitive constructions, class 9/10 nouns take the connector ya. Both hisani (“aid”) and serikali (“government”) are class 9, so you use hisani ya serikali (“aid of the government”). Class 9/10 nouns don’t alter their stem in such compounds.