5.0 The common morphological processes
used in word formation are compounding and derivation. Of the
two, compounding is a more common process.
5.1.
Compounding :
Compound forms are those derived by combining with a noun or a
verb one or more free forms which end up in modifying
relationship with the noun or the verb. The free forms combined
with a noun are a noun, an adjective or a verb; and a free form
combined with a verb.
5.1.1. The nominal compounds are thus the combination of two or
more nouns or the combination of a noun and an adjective, or the
combination of a noun and a verb.
(a) N + N
nao
‘flower’ + zk
‘thread’ à
naozk
‘garland’
tenuk ‘eye’
+ c
‘water à
nukc
‘tears’
(b) Adj + N
tanak ‘black’
+ nisó
‘man’ à
tanaknisó
‘sambo (negro)’
ko
‘horse’ + ti?la
‘small’ à
koti?la
‘pony’
(c) N + V
ita ‘moon’
+ aya
‘shine’
à itaya
‘moon light’
c
‘water’ + aa ‘to feel thirsty’ à
ca
‘thirst
Higher numerals are also found by compounds which combine the
primary numerals as discussed already under Numerals.
té
‘ten’ +
puu
‘five’ à
tépuu
‘fifteen’
mec
‘twenty’ + ká
‘one’ à
meceká
‘twentyone’
samé
‘thirty’ +
tenet ‘seven’
à
samétenet
‘thirtyseven’
5.1.2. The verbal compounds are formed by combining two verbs.
Both verbs drop their classificatory prefix when they are thus
combined.
apu
‘to jump’ +
ata
‘to cross’ à
puta
‘top jump across’
alep ‘to cut’
+ ata
‘to separate à
lepta
‘to cut off’
5.2.
Derivation :
Verbal nouns and agentive nouns are derived from verbs by adding
the respective derivative suffixes and the abstract nouns are
derived from adjectives by adding the relevant derivatives
suffix.
5.2.1. The suffix /-pa/ is added to the verbs to derive verbal
nouns.
aci
‘to eat’
acipa
‘eating’
atu
‘to dig’
atupa
‘digging’
ao
‘to bite’
aopa
‘biting’
toksa
‘to break’
toksapa
‘breaking’
lapsa
‘to cut’
lapsapa
‘cutting’
5.2.2. The
suffix /-e/
is added to the verbs to derive agentive nouns.
sták
‘weave’
stáke
‘weaver’
takok
‘succeed’ takoke
‘successor’
5.2.3. The
suffix /-n/ is
added to the adjectives to derive abstract nouns.
o
‘flower’ + z
k
‘thread’ à
na
‘man’ à
tanaknisó
ták
‘weave’
s
