Abstract:
In this study the author endeavors to differentiate and describe the temporal functions of various verbal prefixes in KinyaRwanda. These morphemes are shown to constitute diverse semantic (temporal) systems—vector and segmental—which, when juxtaposed, determine the particular tense relations in any verbal expression. Of particular significance, the analysis demonstrates that verbal morphemes do not, in all cases, have a unique, absolute meaning or function, but shift according to the semantic context in which they are used.
