Discontinuous elements in morphology
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Authors
Kosch, Ingeborg M.
Issue Date
2005
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This article probes into the nature of discontinuous elements in the morphology of some African
languages, but in Northem Sotho in particular. The discussion is conducted against the backdrop of two
principles which are generally held to be characteristic of 'pure' agglutinative languages, namely the
principle of invariance of morphemes and the principle of a one-to-one matching between a form and
a meaning. Agglutinating languages such as the African languages, including Northem Sotho, display
deviations from these ideal agglutinative norms. The deviations may assume various forms, but in this
article the scope is narrowed down to instances where the deviations manifest as 'discontinuous' or
'interrupted' elements. Terms such as infixes, circiimfixes and extended exponents, which form an integral
part ofthe discussion, are elucidated.
Description
Citation
Kosch, Ingeborg M.2005.Discontinuous elements in morphology.South African Journal of African Languages,vol.25,no.3,2005.pp.161-170
Publisher
African Language Association of Southern Africa
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
0257-2117