Individual and Co-occurrence of Ekegusii Verbal Extensions

Abstract

The article looks at the co-occurrence of five Ekegusii verbal extensions namely: passive, applicative, reversive, reciprocal and causative. The researcher used minimalist approach to explain the order and co-occurrence of verbal extensions. The derivational affixes marked on the base are each affiliated to a syntactic operation. The affix order is determined by the semantic function and scope of each affix; the affixes having greater relevance to the action of the verb root appear closer to it. The morphological view postulates a template where affixes were inserted in specific slots which was not directly motivated by either syntactic or semantic considerations. Affix ordering was determined by the morphology where languages impose specific morphotactic constraints for which there is no synchronic extra-morphological explanation. The Ekegusii verbal extensions followed a Pan-Bantu default template; CARP (causative, applicative, reciprocal and passive). The findings are explained by use of different structures in Ekegusii.