Tindzimi ta misava ti vumba marito ma tona hi ku tirhisa tindlela to hambanahambana. Yin’wana ya tindlela ta kona yi katsa ku tshula, mbuyelelo, vunembeleti, mpfelelo, ku lomba na tindlela tin’wana. Ndzavisiso lowu wu languta hi vuenti tindlela timbirhi, ku nga ndlela ya mpfelelo na ndzungelelo ku vumba marito. Mpfelelo lowu langutiwaka wu katsa mpfelelo wa maviti na mpfelelo wa maendli kusuka eka swihluvi swo hambanahambana swa mbulavulo kasi eka ndzungelelo kona ku langutiwa swihluvi swa mbulavulo swa riviti na riendli. Swikongomelo swa ndzavisiso lowu i ku languta mpfelelo na ndzungelelo wa marito kusuka eka swihluvi swa mbulavulo swo hambanahambana eka Xitsonga; ku xiyisisa xivumbeko lexi mpfelelo na ndzungelelo wa marito ma swi tekaka loko ku vumbiwa marito eka Xitsonga; na ku xiyisisa vuxaka bya mpfelelo na ndzungelelo wa marito hi tlhelo ra tinhlamuselo eka marito lama vumbiweke kusuka eka mona eka Xitsonga. Thiyori ya Optimality hi yona leyi ndzavisiso wu nga simekiwa ehenhla ka yona. Thiyori leyi yi kombisa leswaku loko hi vumba marito ku na milawu leyi hi faneleke ku yi landzelela ku nga milawu ya mavumbelo ma marito. Ndzavisiso lowu wu tirhisa dizayini ya ndzavisiso yo hlamusela (descriptive research design) laha ku tirhisiwaka maendlelo ma nkoka. Ku hlengeleta switiviwa, ku tirhisiwile mahlengeletelo ma switiviwa ma vuxokori. Eka maendlelo mo hlengeleta switiviwa swa muxaka lowu, mulavisisi loyi a tivaka ririmi leri a nga le ku ri lavisiseni a vumba swivulwa leswi a nga ta swi teka a swi yisa eka mutivi wa ririmi ku tiyisisa leswaku swa amukeriwa. Switiviwa swi ta xopaxopiwa hi ku tirhisa maendlelo ya nxopaxopo wa vundzeni. Mbuyelo wa ndzavisiso lowu wu kombisa leswaku mpfelelo na ndzungelelo i swa nkoka swinene ku vumba marito eka Xitsonga. Ndzavisiso wu kumile leswaku vunembeleti bya swirhangi na swilandzi loko ku vumbiwa vundhawu na ntsongohato swa maviti swi tlanga xiphemu xa nkoka eka vumba marito hi maendlelo ma mpfelelo na ndzungelelo. Hi tlhelo lerin’wana, ku lungeleriwa ka swirhangi swa mitlawa ya maviti eka maviti na le ka mavitinkatsano swi pfelerisa maviti mantshwa ma mpfelelo. Nakambe, matlhelo, nkarhi wa maendli na marhavi ma maendli swi na nkucetelo wukulu eka ku vumba marito hi endlelo ra ndzungelelo hi ku lungelela swilandzi leswi faneleke. Mbuyelelo wa misinya ya maendli na wona wu na xiave eka ku vumba mpfelelo. Ndzavisiso lowu wu katsakanya hi ku kombisa leswaku mpfelelo na ndzungelelo, ku nga va swa maendli kumbe maviti wu nghenisa swihluvi swo hambanahambana ku katsa maencisi, mahlawuri na swihluvi swin’wana. Wu tlhela wu kombisa leswaku maendlelo lama yo vumba marito ma na nkoka leswaku hi ta lemuka mapeletelo ma man’wana ma marito lama ma ha nyikaka xiphiqo eka vatirhisi.
Languages develop their vocabulary in various word formation processes. These methods include neologism, reduplication, affixation, derivation, borrowing, etc. The study focuses on two aspects of these word formation processes: derivation and inflection. The derivatives and inflection under investigation are the derivation and inflection of nouns and verbs. The objectives of the study are to evaluate word derivation and inflection from various speech patterns in Xitsonga, to observe the structure that derivational and inflectional words take when they are formed, and to observe the semantic relationship of derivational and inflectional words with the sources in Xitsonga. The Optimality Theory is used as the theoretical framework for this research. This theory suggests that rules that are different from the rules of word formation must be followed when creating new words. The study employs a descriptive research design using the qualitative method. To gather the data for the study, the researcher has applied elicitation. In this data-gathering process, a researcher fluent in the target language comes up with words or creates sentences that he then passes on to a linguist for verification. Data has been analyzed using content analysis as a data analysis technique. The results of this research show that derivation plays a vital role in the formation of new words in Xitsonga. The study found that the affixation of prefixes and suffixes in the formation of locative nouns and diminutive nouns cannot be ignored. On the other hand, the prefixation of noun classes in verb stems, nouns and compound nouns results in derivative nouns. Furthermore, negative form and tenses in verbs significantly influence the formation of inflectional verbs through suffixation. The reduplication of verb stems also plays a role in forming derivatives. This research shows that the suffix, whether of verbs or nouns, introduces various suffixes, including idiophones, adjectives, and other word categories. It also shows that derivatives, as one of the word formation processes, are essential for understanding how to recognize some of the spellings of words that still cause user problems.
