For some time, I have been wondering if in Kikuyu, the first letter that begins a verb holds any key to the meaning of the entire verb. Call it a long shot, but when I considered these two sets of verbs, I think I got an underlying idea.

thagumia, thambia, tharaa, tharia, thaata, theka, theca, thegetha, thĩyaa, thĩĩna, thiga, thica, thika, thitũka, thima, thithina, thoga, thogotha, thũra thuguma, thuria, thua

For these verbs, there seem to be an element of exertion or application of force. A lot of energy seem to be before these verbs are accomplished.

haya, hara, haara, haka, haamba, hagĩra, heha, heeha, henia, heenia, hĩha, hĩĩnja, hĩtia, hiha, hitha, hinga, hira, hora, hooha, hoota, hooya, hũũra, hũũma, hũũta, hũũna, hutia, huna, hura, hungura.

For this set of verbs, the underlying idea seem to be slow progression of events vbefore eccomplishment.

Anyone with me?

Iniguogo tondu tamaritwa

Ruga ruta,thuguna,thuria They At time seems like commands.
But some are kinda soothing.

Emy, It is true that they sound like commands. I think it depends on the tone you adopt during pronunciation. Even in English, bare verbs uttered in a raising intonation also function as imparatives

Do you think of any genral meaning you can assign to a group of verbs based on the fisrt letter? For instance, is there any generalizing idea that we can get from the following set of verbs?

C= caanga, caria, camaa, caaya, ceera, ceeha, ceenga, ceema, ciira, cina, coka, cora, cogotha, curia, cuuma, cunga, cũũnga, cũna, cũtha.

R=ratha, rara, rama, raanga, renga, rahe, rera, reera, riga, riba, rira, rĩha, rikaa, rĩma,rĩra roga, rora, roota, rooka, ruga, ruma, rũũga, rĩma, ruta