Words may be formed by derivation. The derivation may
include prefixing, infixing, and suffixing, as shown below with illustrations.
5.2.2.1.
Prefixing :
1. Causative verbs are derived by prefixing the causative
suffix to the verb as in :
a+nu? à
anu?
‘to make someone drink’
a+jom à ajom
‘to feed’
2. The first syllable of the verb is reduplicated to
derive a noun from the verb as in :
o+ol à
ool
‘writing’
i+ir à
iir
‘cutting’
jo+jom à
jojom
‘eating’
le+lel à
lelel
‘seeing’
se+sen à
sesen
‘walking’
da+dal à
dadal
‘beating’
su+suku à
susuku
‘liking’
nu+nu?u à
nunu?u
‘drinking’
5.2.2.2.
Infixing :
1. PV (P with nay vowel) is infixed either in the
adjectives giving the repeated meaning of the adjective or in the verbs giving the meaning ‘each other’ as shown below :
maraŋ
‘big’
ma-pa-raŋ
‘big, big’
ma-pa-raŋ
daruko
‘big, big trees’
huiŋ
‘small’
hu-pu-iŋ
‘small, small’
hu-pu-in
daako
‘small small branches’
dal
‘to beat’
da-pa-l
‘beating each other’
čo?
‘to kiss’
čo-po-?
‘kissing each other’
ajom
‘to feed’
a-pa-jom
‘feding each other’
5.2.2.3.
Suffixing :
1. Agentive suffix
i?
or ji? is added to the verb to derive the nominal form of the verb.
r+i?/ji?
à iri?
}
}
‘reaper’
irji?
}
jom+i/ji?
à jomi?
}
}
‘eater’
jomji?
}
2. Number markers -a,
-kin, and -ko are added to noun.
kaji+a
à kajia
‘a word’
jo+a
à joa
‘a fruit’
bi+kin
à bikin
‘two books’
h+kin
à hkin
‘two men’
jo+ko à
joko
‘fruits’
kui+ko
à kuiko
‘girls’
3. The nominal suffix -i is added to the
adjective to derive noun :
iŋ
i?
or ji? is added to the verb to derive the nominal form of the verb.
i?/ji?
à ir
a,
-kin, and -ko are added to noun.
a
à kaji
i+kin
à b
