The sequence of derivational and inflectional morphemes in selected Sesotho word categories

Abstract

English: This study examines the sequence of Sesotho derivational and inflectional morphemes in open class word categories (verbs and deverbative nouns). It examines how these morphemes are ordered and based on Greenberg’s universal clause, which states that ‘if both the derivation and inflection follow the root, or they both precede the root, the derivation is always between the root and the inflection’ (Greenberg 1963:93). This statement has been tested in Sesotho word categories such as verb phrases and deverbative noun phrases. A brief description, classification, linear and hierarchical arrangement of Sesotho grammatical morphemes have been given in terms of the XBar theory and Beard (1995)’s, Lexeme-Based – Morphology as a background theory to contextualise the analysis of the sequence of Sesotho lexical morphemes. Sample word categories were chosen from Sesotho noun class list, and a range of Sesotho word categories were selected from the list and analysed to determine the sequence and various combinations of derivational and inflectional morphemes. It has been observed that inflectional morphemes in verbs are always amid the root and the closing vowel known as the verbal end. Secondly, it has been observed that when inflectional morphemes appear with derivational morphemes in the formation of a new word category, the derivational morphemes, in this case noun prefixes, always appear at the beginning of the word as in (Mosebeletsi [Worker]), and also appear at the end of the word as in this example (Tshwarelo [Forgiveness]). This study argued that Sesotho as one of the agglutinative languages, employs noun class prefixes as nominal derivational morphemes, which appear at the beginning of the noun and it also employs locative suffixes [-eng] to form locative nouns which function as adverbs. The suffix [-eng] therefore also functions as derivational morpheme but in this case it appears at the end of the noun locatives. This study therefore concludes that Sesotho does not conform to Greenberg’s (1963) universal statement.

Afrikaans: Hierdie studie ondersoek die volgorde van Sotho afgeleide en inflectionele morfeme in die oop klas woord kategorieë (werkwoorde en deverbatiewe naamwoorde). Dit ondersoek hoe hierdie morfeme bestel gebaseer op Greenberg se universele klousule, wat bepaal dat ‘if both the derivation and inflection follow the root, or they both precede the root, the derivation is always between the root and the inflection’ (Greenberg 1963:93). Hierdie stelling is getoets in Sotho kategorieë woord soos werkwoorde frases en deverbatiewe naamwoord frases. ‘n kort beskrywing, klassifikasie, lineêre en hieragiese reëling van Sotho grammatikale morfeme gegee in terme van die X-Bar teorie en Beard (1995) se Leksim-Gebaseerde-Morfologie as ‘n agtergrond teorie aan die ontleding van die volgorde van Sotho leksikale morfeme kontekstualiseer. Monster wordklasse is gekies uit Sotho naamwoord klaslys, en ‘n verskeidenheid van Sotho kategorieë woord is gekies uit die lys en ontleed om die volgorde en verskillende kombinasies van afgeleide en inflectionele morfeme te bepaal. Dit is waargeneem dat inflectionele morfeme in werkwoorde is altyd te midde van die wortel en die sluitingsdatum vokaal bekend as die verbale einde. Tweedens, is dit opgemerk dat wanneer inflectionele morfeme verskyn met afgeleide morfeme in die vorming van ‘n nuwe word kategorie, die afgeleide morfeme, in hierdie geval voorvoegsel naamwoord, verskyn altyd aan die begin van die word soos in (Mosebeletsi [Werker]), en ook aan die einde van die woord soos in hierdie voorbeeld verskyn (Tshwarelo [Vergifnis]). Hierdie studie aangevoer dat Sotho as een van die agglutinerende tale, dit werk naamwoord klas voorvoegsels as nominale afleiding morfeme, wat verskyn aan die begin van die naamwoord en dit werk ook lokatiewe suffikse [-eng] te lokatiewe naamwoorde wat funksioneer as bywoorde vorm. Die agtervoegsel [-eng] funksioneer dus ook as afgeleide morfeem maar in hierdie geval is dit verskyn aan die einde van die naamwoord lokatiewe. Hierdie studie sluit dus dat Sotho voldoen nie aan Greenberg (1963) se universele verklaring.