I hope the TE will still read this thread ... but maybe it will be of interest to other people as well:
In Tagalog we have only three tenses (completed, uncompleted and contemplated), which correspond more or less to the English basic tenses (past, present, future). This is why some gurus claim, that Tagalog grammar is much more easy than English grammar.
In fact this is NOT the case. In Tagalog the concept of tense is replaced by the concept of aspect. We have a powerful set of affixes that can modify verbs ... and we have the concept of focus, which replaces active and passive voice, but on a much wider base than in English ! So to my taste Tagalog verb grammar is much MORE complex than in English. Prefixes can also serve as an adjective maker (ganda - maganda), as a verb maker (mag-tagalog) or simply as a modifier.
Affixes can be prefixes, infixes or suffixes. The TE wants to know about prefixes, so let's talk about that. To my knowledge there exists no grammar book, that deals with that topic in general. So I have tried to make up a list of prefixes myself (which is still far from being complete and maybe even far from being correct). Here it is to your descretion:
i- I-verbs (OF)
ipag- OF, ipinag-, ipanag-, ipag-
ka- same as
(kaklase - of the same class, class mate)
ka-, kaka- + future + lang - recent past
(kaluluto lang, kakaluto lang)
kasing- kasinglaki (of same bigness, as big as)
ma- adjective maker, MA-verbs (AF)
mag- to do, MAG-verbs (AF)
magpa-
maka- to be able to
(makabasa, AF nakabása, nakákabasa, makákabasa)
makaka- (makaintindí, AF, nakaintindí, nakákaintindi, makákaintindi)
mapa- mapa+root
(OF, napa, napapa, mapapa)
na-
nag-
naka- to wear s.th. (nakaazul)
nakaka- (cf. makaka)
nagpa-
nagpapa-
nagkaka-
napa, napapa
nakikipag-
ni- IN-verbs (OF) (lutuin - niluto)
pa-
pag- for ...
pang-
paki- used to ask s.o. t perform the action
associated with the root as a request or favor
OF, pinaki+root, pinakiki+root, pakiki+root
pinaka- superlative
taga- doing something on a regular basis (tagaluto = a cook)
from
um- UM-verbs (AF) (ulan - umulan)
Not all affixes may be applied to any root. But quite a lot ... e.g. luto:
iluto
ipagluto
magluto, nagluto
maluto, naluto
magpaluto
makapagluto
pagluto
tagaluto
This is a first try of a non-native speaker to deal with that topic in general. But at least it already contains more than 30 prefixes .... although my explanations may be far from being correct in all cases.
I have gathered a lot of examples too ... but this would bust this thread ...
I would be really very much interested in getting your feedback on my (humble) attempt to cover the matter ...
Have a great day everybody
Jimmy