Derived Grades 1, 2, 3, 4

Technical note on derived meanings of "base" forms of verbs (Grades 1, 2, 3, 4)

We can divide 99% of the verbs of Hausa into two groups--"base" and "derived". In the terminology of the Hausa Grade System they are as follows:

Base Verbs Derived Verbs

Grade 1
Hi-Lo(-Hi)-a yanka 'cut'
karanta 'read'

Grade 2
Lo-Hi(-Lo)-a
(all transitive) saya 'buy'

Grade 3
Lo-Hi(-Lo)-a
(all intranstive) shiga 'enter'

Grade 4
Hi-Lo(-Hi)-e rufe 'close'

Grade 5
Causative sayar 'sell' ("cause to buy")

Grade 6
-o verbs sayo 'buy and bring'

Grade 7
-u verbs sayu 'be (well) bought'

It turns out that Hausa can put a verb that has a particular base form into a different "base" form to give it a derived meaning! The main meanings that these "derived base" forms can provide are as follows, illustrated with some of the base forms from the examples in the table above.

Grade 1 apply the action to an object rufa 'put a covering on'
saya 'buy for'

Grade 2 do a bit of; remove a part from the whole yanka 'cut a piece off'
karanta 'read some of'

Grade 3 action reverts back to subject rufa 'be covered (with)'
karanta 'be well-read'

Grade 4 action is done to completion; action is done in a direction away yanke 'cut in two, sever'
saye 'buy up'
shige 'pass (through)', i.e. enter and go on

Grade 1	apply the action to an object	rufa 'put a covering on' saya 'buy for'
Grade 2	do a bit of; remove a part from the whole	yanka 'cut a piece off' karanta 'read some of'
Grade 3	action reverts back to subject	rufa 'be covered (with)' karanta 'be well-read'
Grade 4	action is done to completion; action is done in a direction away	yanke 'cut in two, sever' saye 'buy up' shige 'pass (through)', i.e. enter and go on