| ROA: | 437 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Morphosyntactic correspondence in Bantu reduplication |
| Authors: | Larry M. Hyman, Sharon Inkelas, Galen Sibanda |
| Comment: | 1998 |
| Length: | 38 |
| Abstract: | Morphosyntactic correspondence in Bantu reduplication Larry M. Hyman, Sharon Inkelas, Galen Sibanda University of California, Berkeley This paper provides a detailed description of verb-stem reduplication in Ndebele (a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni group, which also includes Zulu, Xhosa and Swati). We show that the reduplicant in Ndebele is conditioned both by phonological factors (it must be disyllabic) and morphological factors, and that the morphological factors are 'abstract' in nature. In particular, identity between reduplicant and stem is enforced at the morphosyntactic level. We provide evidence showing that the reduplicant of an Ndebele verb stem must be analyzed as a verb stem itself (cf. Downing 1997a et seq.). Its surface form is obtained not by surface correspondence to the base output, but rather by direct spell-out of its own (identical) morphosyntactic structure, which, in turn, is a direct copy from the base. While the base and reduplicant are thus identical morphosyntactically, they are not necessarily identical morphotactically, because Ndebele provides different ways of spelling out the same morphosyntactic features. |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | Phonology,Morphology,Syntax |
| Article: | Version 1 |