Difference between revisions of "Deverbal nominalization"

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===Deverbal agentive nouns===
 
===Deverbal agentive nouns===
   
Agent nominalization occurs through a reduplication process whereby the body of the first syllable is reduplicated, and the vowel is lengthened if it was not already long.
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Agent nominalization occurs through a completely productive reduplication process whereby the body of the first syllable is reduplicated, and the vowel is lengthened if it was not already long.
   
{| class="wikitable sortable"
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{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="4" style="border: 1px solid black;"
 
|-
 
|-
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! Verb Gloss !! Verb !! Noun Gloss !! Agent Noun
! --------------Gloss-------------- !! Derives from verb: !! Agentive noun (sg) !! Agentive noun (pl) !! Session !! Notes
 
 
|-
 
|-
| worker || jal || ocaajal || jaajal || OAD_042
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| refuse || fañ || naysayer || o'''paa'''fañ ||
 
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| naysayer || fañ || opaafañ || faafañ ||
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| gather clams || faañ || clamdigger || o'''paa'''faañ ||
 
|-
 
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| clamdigger || faañ || opaafaañ || faafaañ ||
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| work || jal || worker || o'''caa'''jal ||
 
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|-
| reader, studier || jang || ocaajang || jaajang || OAD_042
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| read, study|| jang || student || o'''caa'''jang ||
 
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|-
| stealer, thief || guud || okuuƭ <br> okuuguɗ || guuɗ <br> guuguɗ || OAD_042
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| steal || guuɗ || thief || o'''kuu'''guuɗ ||
 
|-
 
|-
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| cultivate || xox || farmer || o'''qoo'''xox ||
| planter, farmer || ? <br> qooxox ||otuuduf <br> oqooxox || duuduf <br> xooxox || OAD_042
 
 
|-
 
|-
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|}
| chewer || jax || ojaajax || jaajax || OAD_042
 
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Agents nominalized in this way will almost always fall into the ''ox/w'' class, resulting in consonant mutation on the initial consonant of the reduplicant. It is possible to give a reduplicated agent noun an inanimate referent:
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:''ambeel a-refa o-mee-meleƈ''
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:(lake <small>3RD-COP</small> <small>ox-NOM-</small>sparkle)
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:‘The lake is a sparkler.’
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This construction carries an anthropomorphic sense. Some verbs can undergo this nominalization process with a non-human agent; these nouns are lexically determined. Nonhuman agent nominalizations occur in unpredictable noun classes, rather than the human ''ox/w'' class.
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{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="4" style="border: 1px solid black;"
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|-
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! Verb Gloss !! Verb !! Noun Gloss !! Agent Noun !! Determiner
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|-
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| fly || yet || flying person <br> insect || o'''yee'''yet <br> '''yee'''yet || '''ox'''e <br> '''n'''e
 
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|-
 
|}
 
|}

Revision as of 16:10, 13 December 2012

There are two clear deverbal nominalization processes attested in Sereer. Both appear to be entirely productive and can apply to any verb, although this is presumably constrained by semantics to some extent.

Deverbal agentive nouns

Agent nominalization occurs through a completely productive reduplication process whereby the body of the first syllable is reduplicated, and the vowel is lengthened if it was not already long.

Verb Gloss Verb Noun Gloss Agent Noun
refuse fañ naysayer opaafañ
gather clams faañ clamdigger opaafaañ
work jal worker ocaajal
read, study jang student ocaajang
steal guuɗ thief okuuguuɗ
cultivate xox farmer oqooxox

Agents nominalized in this way will almost always fall into the ox/w class, resulting in consonant mutation on the initial consonant of the reduplicant. It is possible to give a reduplicated agent noun an inanimate referent:

ambeel a-refa o-mee-meleƈ
(lake 3RD-COP ox-NOM-sparkle)
‘The lake is a sparkler.’

This construction carries an anthropomorphic sense. Some verbs can undergo this nominalization process with a non-human agent; these nouns are lexically determined. Nonhuman agent nominalizations occur in unpredictable noun classes, rather than the human ox/w class.

Verb Gloss Verb Noun Gloss Agent Noun Determiner
fly yet flying person
insect
oyeeyet
yeeyet
oxe
ne

Eventive nouns