The "ka" prefix... (Redux)

The "ka" prefix... (Redux)A post made by “Jimmy329” last 21 May 1922 entitled “Question: Hello, I am trying to learn Tagalog grammar I ...” resurfaced some weeks ago, and again 2 weeks ago when the spammer “Lisadonalds09052” used it. However, the topic had already shifted the first time it reappeared that I failed to pay attention to the earlier part of the thread. The original topic was about one of the uses of the “ka” prefix. So, this is about the topics that I did not notice then. (You might find the original post at the bottom of this page 1 or maybe somewhere at the top of page 2.) The numbers and the “>> <<” marks indicate direct quotes from the original post. 1. >>Sentences with this form of the verb always have 'lang' in them, and they don't (usually) have anything in them that's in the 'ang' form; you can see in 1 that the subject is 'namin', whereas if you had any other form of the verb it'd be 'kami'.<<Yes, one of the functions of the “ka” prefix is to indicate an action that happened in the very recent past, and yes, it is followed by “lang (just)”. “Kararating lang” = Just arrived; “kakakain lang = just ate”; “kagigising lang” = just woke up.The “ang” is used to indicate the subject of the sentence when that subject is not a name or a personal pronoun. Also, since colloquially it is more common for us to start the sentence with the verb, it would, as a consequence, precede the actor/subject. However, it would not be wrong to place the actor ahead of the verb, although it rarely happens because when making such statements, the recency of the event is usually more significant than its actor.Karáratíng KO lang. = AKÓ ay karáratíng lang. = I just arrived.
Kakakain lang NAMIN. = KAMÍ ay kakakain lang. = We just ate.
Kakakain lang ng BATA. = ANG BATA ay kakakain lang. = The child just ate.
Kagigising lang ng NATUTULOG. = ANG NATUTULOG ay kagigising lang. = The one who was sleeping, just woke up.2. >>So I wonder: why do all the grammar books that I use, do not deal with or not even mention that topic ? Is it "obsolete" .... or is is "hardly used" ... or what else is the reason for avoiding it so much<<Not obsolete at all. We use it as often as the “just + past tense verb” is used in English. 3. >>… that some Tagalog speakers (maybe especially younger speakers, especially in Manila?) will form this kind of the verb by prefixing kaka-, rather than by prefixing ka- and reduplicating the verb. So that kind of speaker might say 'kakarating' rather than 'kararating'.<<Based on standard grammar rule about verbs, as in their conjugations, it is the first syllable of the root word that is repeated and not its prefix. However, I think that in some Tagalog regions there is a tendency to repeat the prefix instead. A friend from a southern Tagalog province would say, for example, “kákagising”, “kákaalís”, “kákainóm”, while I, a native-Tagalog speaker from Manila, would say those as “kagígising”, “kaáalís”, “kaíinóm”. (Notice the difference in the placements of the first stress.)On the perception about the “younger speakers, especially in Manila” tending to repeat the prefix instead, we have to take into account that there is a difference between a Tagalog-speaker and a native-Tagalog speaker. I believe that native-Tagalog speakers from Manila, regardless of age, are most likely to repeat the first syllable of the root word.4. >>For UM-verbs recent past is formed by prefixing KA and duplicating the first syllable of the root.
Halimbawa: gising - kagígising lang niya (he/she just got up).
For MAG-verbs the root is prefixed with KAPAG.
Halimbawa: mag-aral - kapag-áaral lang ko (I have just finished studying)<<This particular use of the “ka” prefix is attached to the root word independently of the other prefixes that may be used with that root word. The “Kapag-áaral lang ko” sentence uses an improper verb and the sentence structure itself is incorrect. It should be “Kaaaral ko lang”. “Kapag” is “if and when”, so the verb “kapag-aaral” would not make sense at all. The “ko” and “mo” pronouns can only be placed between the verb and “lang”. However, “niya” may be placed either before or after “lang”. “Namin”, “ninyo”, and “nila” are almost always placed after “lang”.Kalalakad KO/MO lang.
Kalalakad lang NIYA./Kalalakad NIYA lang.
Kalalakad lang NAMIN/NINYO/NILA.5. >>For MA-verbs MA will be replaced by PA, so the verb will start with KAPAPA always.
Halimbawa: mamili – kapápamili<< The replacement of “ma” with “pa” in the example given is based on a different reason and is not an automatic one. We can say:Kabíbilí ko lang = I just bought (something)Kamímilí ko lang = I just bought (some things from the market; a number/an assortment of things from somewhere)Kapápamilí ko lang = I just bought (things from the market) – The “pa” prefix is used when referring to the market. “Pamilihan” is the Tagalog word for market and “pamilihang bayan” is “public market”. So, either “kamimili” or “kapapamili” may be used to mean “to have just bought things from the market”, but since “kamimili” is also often used to mean “to have just been shopping”, we tend to use “kapapamili” more often to mean buying from the market.“Palengke” is also used for “market” but its origin is the Spanish word “palenque (enclosure)”. At times, you might also hear “Kapápamalengke ko lang”, which can only mean buying things at the market, and on those days we can’t just get enough of those syllables.6. >>Remark: recent past can also be used as a noun, when the effect follows the action immediately.
Halimbawa: Busog na ako sa kakákain ng adobo (I am full now just after eating an adobo)<< We have to remember that “lang” has to be there to indicate the recency of the event. Since there is no “lang” in the example sentence given, the meaning of the sentence changes. (Note the placement of the stresses on the verbs below.)Busóg na akó sa KÁKAKAIN ng adobo = I am already full from EATING SO MUCH adobo. Busog na ako, KAKAKAIN ko lang ng adobo. = I am already full, I JUST ATE adobo.Busog na ako pagkatapos kong KUMAIN ng adobo. = I am already full after EATING/I ATE adobo.>>I am full now just after eating (an) adobo.<< = Busog na ako ngayon pagkatapos lang kumain ng adobo. - The meaning suggests the unexpected feeling of fullness after just eating adobo.

7. >>magtext ka sa akin kapag kakakain ka.
Obviously recent past is NOT applicable in this case ! It should be:
Mag text ka sa akin kapag tapos ka ng kumain. <<Both Tagalog sentences given are incorrect.Magtext/Mag-text ka sa akin KAPÁG KAKAIN KA. = Text me IF YOU ARE GOING TO/WILL EAT.Magtext/Mag-text ka sa akin KAPÁG KAKAIN KA NA. = Text me WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY ABOUT TO EAT. - “Kakakain” cannot be used in either version of the sentence.Magtext/Mag-text ka sa akin kapag tapos ka NANG kumain. = Text me when you’re done eating. - “Nang” is “na + n” because there are 2 “na” in the phrase “kapag tapos ka NANG kumain”. They are “kapag tapós NA (when ALREADY finished)” and “tapós NA kumain (finished eating)” where “finished” is an adjective that needs the linker “na”).

8. >>She claims "Katatapos kulang kumain it means just finished eating. " and not "kakakain" …<<“I just finished eating” may be expressed correctly either as “Katatapos ko lang kumain” or “Kakakain ko lang.”9. >>kababalik mo lang sa bahay ....
She said YES .... ! (maybe she just gave up correcting me) ... <<Her “yes” was because the phrase “kabábalík mo lang sa bahay” is correct. And saying it as “katatapos mo lang bumalík sa bahay” would also be correct.So, the word “katatapos” may also be used for this purpose instead of the prefix “ka” when the action takes an amount of time to complete. The sentence becomes longer though and the verb form changes, too.KAKAKAIN mo lang (You just ate). → Katatapos mo lang KUMAIN (You just finished eating).
KASASABI lang niya (He just said it). → Katatapos lang niyáng SABIHIN (He just “finished saying” it).
KAPAPALIGO ko lang (I just took a bath). → Katatapos ko lang MALIGO (I just finished taking a bath).When the completion of the action is instantaneous, only the use of “ka” would make sense.KAGIGISING ko lang (I just woke up). >? Katatapos ko lang gumising (I just finished waking up).
KAMÁMATAY lang ng lola nila nung November (Their grandma just died last November). >? Katatapos lang mamatay ng lola nila nung November (Their grandma just finished dying last November).
KABÁBALIK niyá lang sa bahay (He just got (back) home). >? Katatapos lang niyáng bumalík sa bahay (He just finished going back home).