Cite this article as: Erin, A. A., &Gomwalk, N. K. (2025). Noun derivation in Berom. Sokoto Journal of Linguistics and Communication Studies (SOJOLICS), 1(2), 89–96. https://doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i02.010
NOUN
DERIVATION IN BEROM
By
Department
of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Jos
&
Niri
Kennedy Gomwalk
Department
of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Jos
Abstract
This research provides a
morpho-semantic account of noun derivation in Berom, a Benue-Congo language
spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria. Using a descriptive qualitative approach,
data were obtained from the Berom dictionary (with validation by four native speakers)
with additional data elicited from two other native speakers. The analysis
reveals that nouns are derived from verbs, adverbs, adjectives and other nouns
in the language mostly via affixation (prefixation), with compounding and tone
changes also playing dominant roles. Types of denominal nouns identified
include diminutives which are formed via kè- prefixation,
augmentatives via gwò- prefixation (with pejorative
meanings), agentives via compounding, speaker nouns, ownership noun compounds
and abstract nouns which are derived via nè- prefixation. The
findings of the research indicate that nominalization in Berom involves an
intricate interaction between morphology, semantics and tone, underscoring the
language’s productive and typologically significant nominal derivation system.
Keywords: Berom, Nominalization, Morphological processes, Base form,
Derived form
1
Introduction
Word formation processes
play a crucial role in understanding the structure of words and their
productivity. Among these processes, derivation serves as a key mechanism
through which new lexical items are created from existing ones, serving to
enrich the lexicon of languages. In particular, noun derivation, which involves
the formation of nouns from other word classes or other nouns, reveals
important information about the morphological structure, as well as the
semantic organization of a language. This research investigates noun derivation
in Berom, a Niger-Congo language in Nigeria (Eberhard, Simons & Fennig,
2019). Despite its large population and long history, various aspects of its
morphology have been largely undocumented. Blench and Dendo (2006) study plural
verb formation in Eastern Berom; Marcus, Pwajok and Ganan (2015) consider
morphological processes in Berom; and Marcus and Yap (2022) consider
characteristics of exocentric nominal compounds in Berom. None of these papers
consider derivational processes in the language and this is the research gap
that this study intends to fill.
This research examines
the morphological strategies involved in noun derivation in Berom. It seeks to
identify the morphological processes that derive nouns as well as the semantic
implications of the nominalization process (such as the formation of agentives,
diminutives, augmentatives etc.). Thus, the study aims to provide a systematic
account of noun derivation in Berom, highlighting its internal morphological
regularities or otherwise. Ultimately, this research contributes to the
documentation and analysis of Berom morphology, and provides insights that
enhance our broader understanding of how derivational morphology functions
within the broader Benue-Congo language family.
2
Literature Review
This section reviews
conceptual and empirical literature on derivation, a morphological process that
involves the formation of new words, by adding to base forms to create lexical
items with distinct lexical categories or meanings. It also reviews literature
on the Benue-Congo language family and the Berom language.
2.1 What is Derivation?
Derivation is basically
concerned with the formation of new words. Bauer (2003) clearly distinguishes
between two broad aspects of morphology- derivation and inflection. The
research suggests that “these two are usually visualized as being entirely
separate…inflection provides forms of lexemes, while derivation provides new
lexemes (Bauer, 2003, p.91). To Haspelmath (2002, p.68) “creating words for new
concepts is one of the chief functions of derivational morphology.” Yule (2006,
p.64) also suggests that derivational morphemes are bound morphemes used “to
make new words or to make words of a different grammatical category from the
stem”. Likewise, Arokoyo (2017, p.103) believes that derivational morphemes
“are bound morphemes attached to roots to derive new words. When attached to
roots, they may change the syntactic class of the lexical items. This means
that the bound morphemes could either be class maintaining or class changing
affixes”.
Hyman (2012) adds
another dimension to the discussion by shedding light on the
morphology-phonology interphase in what he describes as ‘tonal morphology’. He
empirically establishes that “tonal morphology can do anything that non-tonal
morphology can do” (Hyman, 2012, p.21). Hyman and Leben (2000, p.588) put it
more succinctly by suggesting that “tonal morphology…exhibits essentially the
same range of morphological properties as in all of segmental morphology.” In
other words, if tone can be a morpheme, it can do everything that a morpheme
can do.
2.2
The Berom Language
Pam, Oduma-Aboh and John
(2025, p.62) assert that “the Berom are one of the largest ethnic groups in
Nigeria’s Plateau state, primarily inhabiting Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi
and Riyom, with smaller communities in Mangu, Bokkos (Plateau state) and Sanga
(Kaduna state).” They further suggest that the Berom population was estimated
at approximately 1.6 million in the 2006 census, and current projections
suggest over 1.8 million today. In like manner, Eberhard, Simons and Fennig
(2025) also add that the Berom can be found in Jema’a L.G.A. of Kaduna state.
On the Berom dialects, Blench (2021) reports that Berom dialects can be
clustered into 6 groups, namely; Gyel-Kuru-Vwang, Du-Foron,
Fan-Ropp-Rim-Riyom-Heikpang, Bachit, Gashish, Rahoss-Tahoss with the Vwang
dialect in Vom being the central dialect with most speakers. The Foron dialect
is the language of literacy development because of the first missionary
settlement in the region.
Marcus (2018) postulates
that “the meaning of the word Berom…designates the language and the ethnic
group of the people.” In essence, Berom stands for both the glossonym and
ethnonym. Greenberg (1966) classified Berom as a member of the Benue-Congo
family in the Niger-Kordofanian phylum, suggesting that the language has a
close affinity with the Bantu language group. Blench (2012, p.11) further
sub-classifies Berom as belonging to the Beromic sub-group of the Plateau
family in Benue-Congo.
2.3
The Plateau Language Family
The Berom language
belongs to the Plateau branch of the Benue-Congo language family which Blench
(2004, p.5) suggests is “the largest and most complex branch of the Niger-Congo
phylum…. The Benue-Congo languages are centered in present-day Nigeria, although
considered with Bantu they cover most of Eastern and Southern Africa”. Blench
(2020, p.3) proposes that “among the many language families represented in
Nigeria, one of the largest and most complex is the Plateau languages…. Plateau
languages dominate the centre of Nigeria, spreading from Lake Kainji to the
region south of Bauchi.” Blench (2020, p.4) further opines that “research on
Plateau languages is far from vibrant; regrettably, the Nigerian (and indeed
international) university system has largely failed this family of languages in
recent years.”
There is, therefore, a
dire need to undertake comprehensive investigations into this language family,
given the limited amount of research that has so far been conducted on them.
These languages, which represent a rich and diverse segment of Nigeria’s linguistic
heritage, remain among the least documented and understood in the country.
2.4
Noun Derivation in Plateau Languages
Noun derivation
according to Arokoyo (2017, p.106) is “a process whereby nouns are derived from
another part of speech...and from other nouns”. Erin (2021) investigates noun
derivation in Izere, a central Plateau language of the Benue-Congo language
family with the aid of morpho-lexical rules as proposed by Lieber (1980). The
research attempts to fill the conceptual gap that exists in the study of the
derivational nominal morphology of the language. Data for the research was
collected in Fobur, Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State. The
findings of the research indicate that prefixation is the dominant
morphological process that accounts for noun derivation in Izere. The research
establishes that nouns can be derived from adjectives in Izere as seen below:
(1)
a. yìk ‘great’ kù-yìk
pref.#great
‘greatness’
b. whɛ̀ ‘kind’ kù-whɛ̀
pref.#kind
‘kindness’
Adapted
from Erin (2021, p.76)
The research also
reveals that nouns can also be derived from verbs via prefixation to derive
gerunds, instrument and occupational nouns. Denominal nouns can also be derived
via prefixation to produce diminutives and speaker nouns. Finally, Izere can
also nominalize adverbs to produce deadverbial nouns as seen below:
(2)
a. kpùkpòk a-kpùkpòk
‘humourously’
pref.#humourously
‘jest’
b. kyɔ́n
à-kyɔ́n
‘secretly’
pref.#secretly
‘secret’
Adapted from Erin (2021, p.85)
In essence, prefixation
was identified as the only process involved in noun derivation in
Izere. The findings of the research prove that these prefixes are used to
class-mark other word classes to nominalize them, thus performing the
derivational process of deriving nouns from such words in the language.
Longtau (2008) discusses
the nominalization of Tarok verbs. Tarok is a noun-class language of the
Plateau sub-family of Benue-Congo, spoken in Plateau state, Nigeria. The
research suggests that verbal nominalization in Tarok is achieved via
prefixation of some verbs. The research establishes that the prefixes m-,
n-, i- and a- are used for nominalization in Tarok.
Consider the following examples:
(3) a. mán ‘to
love’ mmán ‘love’ (N)
b. càng ‘to
be sweet’ ǹcàng ‘sweetness/enjoyment’
c. ɗék ‘to
be heavy’ ìɗék ‘responsibility/weight’
d. cì ‘to
refuse’ acì ‘refusal of s.t.’ (out of annoyance)
The Tarok data above
also indicates that the language also morphologically uses prefixation for the
nominalization of some verbs, and they also function as noun class markers in
the language.
The literature clearly
shows that published material on many aspects of these Plateau languages is
very scarce. This shows that investigating noun derivation in Berom is
very timely.
3
Methodology
This study employs a
descriptive qualitative research design, aimed at providing a systematic
account of noun derivation processes in Berom. This design was adopted to
facilitate a detailed examination of linguistic data with respect to form,
structure and function, in line with the core objective of the research which
seeks to describe the morphological mechanisms involved in noun derivation in
the language, as well as to account for the morpho-syntactic and semantic
relationships between derived nouns and their base forms.
The data for this study
were drawn from both primary and secondary sources, allowing for validation of
linguistic evidence. The principal source of secondary data was from the Berom
dictionary (Blench &Dusu, 2025). Lexical items were systematically extracted
from the dictionary, focusing primarily on nouns that exhibit morphological
evidence of derivation. Both the derived forms and their base forms were
collected in order to identify and analyze patterns of noun formation. The
native intuition of one of the researchers and four other respondents was also
relied on to verify the collected data.
Given the need for
empirical validation, supplementary data were collected from native speakers of
Berom through direct elicitation. Two informants were purposively selected
based on their perceived competence in the language. The elicitation process
involved structured and semi-structured interviews, during which speakers were
asked to confirm lexical forms, provide additional examples, and offer
grammatical judgments. This process ensured that the data reflected authentic
usage within the speech community. Data collection proceeded in several stages:
i.Lexical extraction:
Derived nouns and their corresponding base forms were extracted from the
dictionary and systematically organized.
ii.Verification with
native speakers: The extracted forms were subsequently cross-checked with four
competent native speakers for accuracy in form, pronunciation, and semantic
interpretation. Any inconsistences were resolved through further consultation
and elicitation. To ensure reliability and validity, only lexical items that
were consistently confirmed across sources were included in the final dataset.
iii.Supplementation:
Additional lexical data were elicited from two informants to supplement the
dictionary data, particularly where certain derivational patterns were
underrepresented or unclear.
iv.Documentation: All
verified and elicited data were transcribed and glossed using the Leipzig
convention of interlinear glossing to provide clarity, where necessary.
The analysis of the data
followed a morpho-semantic framework, informed by both descriptive and
comparative principles. The first step involved identifying the lexical
categories that served as the bases for noun derivation. Next, each derived
noun was examined to determine, the morphological process(es) involved
(affixation, compounding etc.). The structure of each derived form was analyzed
to reveal its internal morphological composition. Finally, the semantic
relationship between base forms and the derived nouns was ascertained to
indicate how derivation affects meaning and grammatical function and to
illustrate derivational regularities and morphological correspondences.
4
Noun Derivation in Berom
This section considers
noun derivation as an aspect of the nominal morphology of the Berom language.
Noun derivation is a process whereby nouns are derived from other parts of
speech or other nouns, through a process of nominalization. Lieber (2009, p.199)
describes derivation as a “lexeme formation process that either change
syntactic category or add substantial meaning or both”. Berom noun derivation
from adjectives, verbs, adverbs and other nouns is investigated in this section.
4.1
Derivation of Deverbal Nouns in Berom
Deverbal nouns are nouns
which are derived from verbs. Arokoyo (2017, p.107) describes nouns with
different meaning components such as agent nouns, patient nouns, instrument
nouns etc. as belonging to this category. Consider the examples of deverbal
nouns in Berom below:
4.1.1
Suprasegmental Deverbal Nouns. Certain nouns can
be derived from verbs in the language by tonal changes alone. These include:
(4) a. sèle ‘to aid’
(V) sélé ‘aid’ (N)
b.
bòso ‘to rot’ (V) bósó ‘rot’ (N)
c.
tolo ‘to sew’ (V) tóló ‘sewing’ (N)
d.
dak ‘to thresh’ (V) dák ‘threshing’ (N)
e.
nara ‘to throw’ (V) nára ‘throwing’ (N)
The data in 4 (a-e)
clearly indicates that tone raising of the base verb forms derives nominal
forms for this set of data. For this set of data, tone clearly performs
morphological functions, as it is the only factor responsible for changing the
verbs into nouns. For example, 4a and b form abstract nouns, while 4 c-e form
gerunds (verbal nouns). This emphasizes that morphological and lexical
contrasts can be expressed not only by segmental affixes but by changes in tone
pattern in Berom. It clearly demonstrates that tone forms part of the
morphological system of the language- a non-segmental marker of derivation with
word class changes.
4.1.2 Segmental Deverbal Nouns. Some
segmental deverbal noun prefixes were identified in Berom. These include:
(5)
a. tóhóg ‘to tempt’ sètóhóg ‘temptation’
b.
féng ‘to be drunk’ sèféng ‘drunkard’
c.
rigim ‘to confuse’ gàrígím ‘confusion’
d.
ku ‘to die’ rèku ‘death’
e.
vìng ‘to excrete’ bèvìng ‘excreta’
f.
tá ‘to be sweet’ ntá ‘sweetness’
g.
fúsh ‘to burn’ fúshá ‘burnt food item’
5 (a-g) demonstrates
that the addition of segmental morphemes can also derive deverbal nouns in
Berom. The category of derived nouns from this set of data includes both
abstract nouns (5 a, c, d and f) and concrete nouns (b, e and g). Nominal
prefixes identified include: se-, ga-, re-, be-, and n-. Only
one suffix – (5g) was identified. This indicates that prefixation is a very
productive process in the derivational morphology of Berom. It also shows that
Berom has a prefix-dominant morphological system for deverbal noun derivation.
This suggests a morphological asymmetry, with prefixation being far more
active. Cross-linguistically, suffixation tends to be more common than
prefixation for derivation and this makes the dominant prefixal system of Berom
typologically worth noting.
4.2 Derivation of Denominal Nouns in Berom
According to Arokoyo
(2017, p.112) “denominal nouns are nouns that are derived from other nouns
through the use of denominal affixes.” Types of denominal nouns found in Berom
include diminutives and speaker nouns, which are discussed in this section.
4.2.1 Diminutives.
These are a type of denominal noun that show a reduction in size of such a
noun. Lieber (2009, p.40) suggests that diminutives “signal a smaller version
of the base.” Berom diminutive nouns are formed by prefixation as seen below:
(6) a. cěk ‘fragment’
kècěk ‘small fragment’
b.
tàngácet ‘star’ kètàngácet ‘small star’
c.
pyè ‘thing’ kèpyè ‘little (thing)’
d.
nòn ‘bird’ (generic) kènòn ‘small bird’ (non-specific)
e.
ǹshí ‘water’ kènshi ‘small amount of water’
The data in 6 (a-e)
indicates that the kè- prefix, attaches to nouns as a
productive diminutive prefix which derives a form kè+N Dim N (where
N indicates a noun and Dim represents diminutive). It is a non-class changing
derivational prefix. The semantic effects of this prefix on nouns are gradable.
In 6 a-d, the nouns are all countable and there is a clear indication that the
diminutive prefix only performs a size reduction on the noun. In 6e, water is
an uncountable mass noun. Here, the diminutive prefix adds an addition semantic
quality of countability to water that quantifies the amount of water. The data
also indicates both the class of animate (6d) and inanimate nouns (6a, b, c and
e) can take the diminutive prefix in Berom.
4.2.2 Speaker Nouns. Erin (2021, p.83) refers to speaker nouns
as “a type of human reference noun that refer to speakers of a language or
dialect”. The Berom, like many other linguistic groups, give names to speakers
of other languages as seen in the examples below:
(7) a. betiri
stranger
‘Hausa person’
b.
begwong
road
‘Anaguta person’
c.
bechwet
cunning
‘Irigwe person’
d.
bemwad jo
people (with) marks
‘Yoruba person’
e.
bemwad re begwom
people (who) eat snake
‘Tarok person’
f.
bemwadrondong
people (with) cow
‘Fulani person’
The data in 7 (a-f)
indicates that morphologically, in Berom, the names of speakers of languages
are derived via single or compound words. The data also indicates that the
meanings of these language speaker names are usually figurative or non-literal
(in the case of single-word speaker names in 7a-c) or exocentric when
compounding is used to derive speaker names (7d-f). The first set of data
(7a-c) indicates that the speaker’s name is derived from a social or relational
term that can only be understood within the context of metonymy. The
forms stranger, road and cunning are terms
associated with the speakers of these different languages within the context of
the Berom culture. For example, in 7c, the Irigwe are seen as a cunning set of
people by the Berom. For the second set of data (7d-e) exocentric phrasal compounds
that describe descriptive attributes of the people are used to name them. For
example, 7d describes the Yoruba as ‘people with marks’, a descriptive
attribute associated with them.
In a nutshell, these
processes illustrate how linguistic and social perception interact in the
naming of languages, encoding the culturally perceived identity of the speakers
within the morphological make-up of the language-speaker names.
4.2.3 Augmentatives. These
are nouns that indicate that something is bigger than the normal basic form of
the noun. They are often formed by adding augmentative prefixes or suffixes in
many languages. Consider the following examples:
(8)
a. bwǎ ‘knife’ gwòbwǎ ‘large knife’
b.
fùsh ‘gourd’ gwòfùsh ‘large gourd’
c.
gyèm ‘bag’ gwògyèm ‘large bag’
d.
kyá ‘fire’ gwòkyá ‘blaze’ (large fire)
e.
rùgu ‘gown’ gwòrùgu ‘big gown’
f.
kùndùng ‘box’ gwòkwàtì ‘chest’ (big box)
It should be noted that
the derived augmentative form for (8f) gwòkwàti ‘big box’ is
a borrowed form from Hausa- akwati, which takes on the Berom
augmentative prefix. This indicates that kùndùng/kwàtì are synonyms, with
the borrowed form gradually creeping into the lexicon of the language. These
augmentative forms are only used pejoratively and semantically carry a negative
or disdainful undertone. The resulting forms often connote something too big or
unpleasant compared to the norm. Importantly, it should be noted that alternate
neutral or positive forms with the non-pejorative meaning implied coexist in
the language, demonstrating that size increase and negative evaluation are a
conceptually distinct, culturally motivated factor. For example, for (8a-c)
alternate augmentative forms are bwǎ rey, bong fùshandgyèmreyrespectively.
In essence, the gwò- prefix
encodes both increase in size and negative evaluation. This pejoration seems to
reflect a cultural attitude toward size and moderation among the Berom. In
addition to the morphological function of size increase, gwò- also
carries a socio-pragmatic implication that encodes judgment about propriety.
4.2.4 Derivation of Abstract Nouns. Abstract nouns are nouns that name ideas, qualities or concepts.
In Berom, certain abstract nouns can be derived from concrete nouns with a
related meaning, as seen below:
(9)
a. kparóng ‘leper’ nèkparóng ‘leprosy’
b.
tón ‘fool’ nètǒn ‘foolishness’
c.
jìk ‘trader’ nèjìk ‘trade’
d.
gwáráp ‘witch’ nègàrap ‘witchcraft’
e.
wěn ‘youth’ nèwěn ‘youthfulness’
f.
sàm ‘slave’ sèsǎm ‘slavery’
The data in 9 (a-f)
indicates that nè-/sè- prefixation on a concrete noun denoting a person,
changes it into an abstract noun denoting a quality, state or condition. This
can schematically be represented as nè+[N_concrete, _human]
[N_abstract]. This rule simply captures the derivational process involved
in the creation of some abstract nouns in Berom. The derivation involves
semantic bleaching and a category shift. Semantic bleaching simply involves the
weakening or loss of semantic force of a word. Here, the concrete referent
(person) is abstracted into the quality they embody. Nè- prefixation signals
the nominalization of an attribute from a concrete entity.
In summary, it could be
said that morphologically, nè- attaches to a human nominal base and
semantically converts a referential noun into a conceptual or evaluative
quality.
4.2.4 Agentive Noun
Compounds in Berom. Agentives are nouns that indicate the performer of
a related action. Consider the following Berom data:
(10) a. mwadfom bas
person work book
‘teacher’
b.
mwadfomjek
person work write
‘writer’
c.
mwadjama
person hunt
‘hunter’
d.
mwadree
person dance
‘dancer’
e.
mwadlwele
person sing
‘singer’
f.
mwad chap
person farm
‘farmer’
g.
mwad ha
person speak
‘speaker’
h.
mwadkak
person (doing)
carpentry
‘carpenter’
The data in 10 (a-h)
indicates that the agentive is derived via compounding in Berom. Here, mwad ‘person’
is compounded with a verbal form to derive a noun compound that indicates the
performer of the action. This can be captured schematically as mwad+V
[N_agent] (where N represents a noun and V is a verb).
Morphologically, this is a synthetic compound with an endocentic structure that
has mwad as its head with a verb as modifier or complement.
The head mwad determines the syntactic category (noun), while
the verb specifies the semantic subtype of the noun (the action that defines
the person). From a derivational standpoint, this compounding process serves
the same function as the -er suffix in English (e.g. teacher).
Semantically, the compounds express an agentive relationship between the verb
and noun that form the compound.
4.2.5 Ownership Noun
Compounds in Berom. InBerom, some nouns can be derived by expressing
ownership of certain qualities. Consider the following:
(11) a.
dâ-vwelNǎijìria
owner (of) soil Nigeria
‘Nigerian president’
b.
dâ-sin
owner (of) crying
‘cry-baby’
c.
dâ-gàgàm
owner (of)
miscarriage-spirit
‘diviner’ (shaman)
The data in 11 (a-c)
indicates possession or ownership relations derived via compounding. These
compounds semantically encode ownership of an attribute or entity. The compound
has a nominal head dâ ‘owner’, with a modifier that
contributes the possessed meaning. The semantic process involves a possessive
relationship (X owns Y), a metaphorical shift (owning becomes exhibiting a
characteristic) and finally, lexicalization (the phrase becomes a fixed
compound). For example, 7b, dâ-sin ‘crybaby’ morpho-semantically
represents a possessive endocentric compound whose meaning is derived from
metaphorical possession of a behavior. The head dâ encodes
ownership, while the modifier sin ‘crying’ supplies the owned
attribute, producing a new lexical item that denotes someone characterized by
that attribute (a crybaby).
4.3 Derivation of Deadverbial Nouns in Berom
Deadverbial nouns are
nouns which are derived from adverbs. Consider the examples below:
(12)
a. jéré ‘cleanly’ ǹjèré ‘cleanliness’
b.
hywè ‘gently’ nèhywè ‘gentleness’
c.
lò̀ò ‘slowly’ nèlòò ‘slowness’
The data in 12 (a-c)
indicates the presence of deadverbial nominalization in Berom. It shows that
adverbs of manner can be nominalized by nè- prefixation to derive abstract
nouns in the language. This can be represented schematically as nè+[Adv_manner]
[N_abstract]. The semantic implication of this process is that the prefix
changes the meaning of the word from the manner of the action (how an action is
done) to a property or quality of the action (what the manner is in abstract
terms). Though a limited number of deadverbial nouns were identified in Berom,
their presence suggests a high level of morphological productivity and semantic
abstraction (the ability to conceptualize adverbial meanings as entities) in
the language.
4.4
Deadjectival Nouns in Berom. These are nouns
that are derived from adjectives. Consider the following examples from Berom:
(13) a. ràt ‘beautiful’
ǹràt ‘beauty’
b.
kpáshák ‘bitter’ nèkpàshák ‘bitterness’
c.
réy ‘big’ nèrey ‘honour’
d.
si ‘black’ nèsi ‘blackness’
e.
kpey ‘deaf’ nèkpay ‘deafness’
f.
tólóp ‘slippery’ nètólóp‘slipperiness’
The data in 13 (a-f)
indicates that adjective nominalization is a productive derivational process in
Berom. The nè- prefix is also responsible for nominalizing adjectives in the
language. The data indicates that descriptive adjectives can be nominalized to
derive abstract nouns in the language and this can be represented schematically
as nè-+[Adv_descriptive] [N_abstract]. As in the case of
deadverbial nouns, the nè- prefix functions as a nominalizer, producing nouns
that express the quality or state denoted by the base adjective. In essence,
nè- serves as a morpho-semantic device for deriving abstract nouns from
descriptive adjectives (encapsulating the idea of ‘the state/quality of being
X).
5 Discussion
This research
investigates the morphological processes involved in noun derivation in Berom.
Prefixation was identified as the dominant morphological process involved in
noun derivation in Berom. The research identifies two major sources of
nominalization: deverbal and denominal derivations, with additional patterns of
deadjectival and deadverbial nominal formation. The findings reveal that
nominalization in Berom is a productive and complex process that employs both
morphological and affixation and tonal modification, and demonstrates a rich
interaction between morphology, phonology and semantics.
The study clearly
demonstrates that deverbal nouns in Berom are derived through two primary
mechanisms- tonal alternation and prefixation. In the case of tonal
alternation, the research indicates that some verbs form nominal counterparts
by tone raising, whereby a change in the tonal pattern of the base verb signals
its conversion into a noun. This process indicates that tone in Berom functions
not only as a phonological feature but also as a morphological marker of word
class. Other deverbal nouns are derived through the addition of nominal
prefixes such as se-, ga-, re-, bè-, and nè-. This
multiplicity of prefixes illustrates the high degree of morphological richness
in Berom nominal morphology.
The study further
identifies several subclasses of denominal nouns derived from existing nouns
through compounding or prefixation. Diminutive nouns are typically formed
through kè- prefixation, denoting smaller versions of the
norm. Speaker nouns arise from exocentric compounds or figurative words, where
the meaning of the compound or word is not directly predictable from its
components or literal meaning, but is culturally or contextually motivated.
Augmentatives are derived by the gwò- prefix, which carries
pejorative connotations, emphasizing excessiveness or disapproval. Abstract
nouns emerge from concrete or human nouns through nè- prefixation,
reflecting a process of semantic abstraction. Agentive forms are created by
compounding mwad ‘person’ with a verb, yielding compound nouns
that indicate performers of certain actions. The final identified denominal
noun in Berom is the ownership noun, which is formed by compounding the
possessive base da ‘owner’ with a modifier that specifies the
object of possession. In most cases, this construction extends metaphorically
to express abstract possession of attributes.
In the case of
deadverbial and deadjectival nominalization, the study also identifies
the nè- prefix as the mechanism for their derivation. These
formations reflect Berom’s capacity for category shifting, allowing adverbs and
adjectives to function nominally without loss of semantic coherence.
6
Conclusion
Overall, the findings
demonstrate that Berom noun derivation operates through a multilayered system
combining morphological prefixation, tonal alternation, and compounding. The
interplay of these strategies reflects a robust nominalization system that is
both typologically significant and internally consistent. The tonal evidence,
in particular, underscores the morphophonemic integration in the grammar, while
the diversity of prefixes and compounding strategies highlights its
morphological productivity. One area for further study is the general paucity
of suffixal affixes, with only one suffix identified in the data. This study
thus contributes to a broader understanding of nominalization patterns in
Plateau sub-group of Benue-Congo languages and offers new insights into the
interphase between morphology, semantics and phonology in Berom.
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