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.