wahi

See also: wāhi

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَحَى (waḥā).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Verb

-wahi (infinitive kuwahi)

1. to arrive; be prompt
2. to get a chance to

Conjugation

Conjugation of -wahi
Positive present -nawahi Subjunctive -wahi Negative -wahi Imperative singular wahi
Infinitives
Positive kuwahi Negative kutowahi
Imperatives
Singular wahi Plural wahini
Tensed forms
Habitual huwahi Positive past positive subject concord + -liwahi Negative past negative subject concord + -kuwahi
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nawahi) Singular Plural 1st person ninawahi/nawahi tunawahi 2nd person unawahi mnawahi 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anawahi wanawahi other classes positive subject concord + -nawahi
Negative present (negative subject concord + -wahi) Singular Plural 1st person siwahi hatuwahi 2nd person huwahi hamuwahi 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hawahi hawawahi other classes negative subject concord + -wahi
Positive future positive subject concord + -tawahi Negative future negative subject concord + -tawahi
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -wahi) Singular Plural 1st person niwahi tuwahi 2nd person uwahi muwahi 3rd person m-wa(I/II) awahi wawahi other classes positive subject concord + -wahi
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -siwahi Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngewahi Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singewahi Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngaliwahi Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singaliwahi
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -awahi) Singular Plural 1st person nawahi twawahi 2nd person wawahi mwawahi 3rd person m-wa(I/II) awahi wawahi m-mi(III/IV) wawahi yawahi ji-ma(V/VI) lawahi yawahi ki-vi(VII/VIII) chawahi vyawahi n(IX/X) yawahi zawahi u(XI) wawahi see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwawahi pa(XVI) pawahi mu(XVIII) mwawahi
Perfect positive subject concord + -mewahi "Already" positive subject concord + -meshawahi "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jawahi "If/When" positive subject concord + -kiwahi "If not" positive subject concord + -sipowahi Consecutive kawahi / positive subject concord + -kawahi Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kawahi
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -niwahi -tuwahi 2nd person -kuwahi -wawahi/-kuwahini/-wawahini 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -muwahi -wawahi m-mi(III/IV) -uwahi -iwahi ji-ma(V/VI) -liwahi -yawahi ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kiwahi -viwahi n(IX/X) -iwahi -ziwahi u(XI) -uwahi see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kuwahi pa(XVI) -pawahi mu(XVIII) -muwahi Reflexive -jiwahi
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -wahi- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -wahiye -wahio m-mi(III/IV) -wahio -wahiyo ji-ma(V/VI) -wahilo -wahiyo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -wahicho -wahivyo n(IX/X) -wahiyo -wahizo u(XI) -wahio see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -wahiko pa(XVI) -wahipo mu(XVIII) -wahimo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -wahi) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yewahi -owahi m-mi(III/IV) -owahi -yowahi ji-ma(V/VI) -lowahi -yowahi ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chowahi -vyowahi n(IX/X) -yowahi -zowahi u(XI) -owahi see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kowahi pa(XVI) -powahi mu(XVIII) -mowahi
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Passive: -wahiwa (“to have undertaken, to have gotten a chance to do something”)

References

• Baldi, Sergio (2020 November 30) Dictionary of Arabic Loanwords in the Languages of Central and East Africa (Handbuch der Orientalistik; Erste Abteilung: Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten; 145), Leiden • Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 302 No. 2898