Post by Thoithoi O'Cottage on Sept 20, 2015 0:04:01 GMT 5.5
While I was working on Manpuri morphology recently, something caught my attention--the unexpected case of circumfixation. Circumfixation (aka confixation and ambifixation) is a case of derivation in which a prefix and a suffix are simultaneously involved and the derived word does not stand as a word without either of the two affixes.
The Chukchee word "teŋ" simultaneously takes the prefix "nə" and the suffix "qin" to form the adjective "nəteŋqin." Neither "nəteŋ" (without the suffix "qin") nor "teŋqin" (without the prefix "nə") is a word.
This phenomenon is also seen in German. In regular verbs, the perfect / passive participle is formed by simultaneously adding a prefix "ge-" and a suffix "-t." Thus from the stem "hab" ( have), we get "ge-hab-t" (had).
Further study is required to confirm or refute the the idea of circumfixation in Manipuri. I moot this hypothesis to start the research into this area:
The Chukchee word "teŋ" simultaneously takes the prefix "nə" and the suffix "qin" to form the adjective "nəteŋqin." Neither "nəteŋ" (without the suffix "qin") nor "teŋqin" (without the prefix "nə") is a word.
This phenomenon is also seen in German. In regular verbs, the perfect / passive participle is formed by simultaneously adding a prefix "ge-" and a suffix "-t." Thus from the stem "hab" ( have), we get "ge-hab-t" (had).
Further study is required to confirm or refute the the idea of circumfixation in Manipuri. I moot this hypothesis to start the research into this area:
Some adjectives and verbs with a sense of benefit can take the prefix "ə-" and a phonologically appropriate suffix "-rəm" or "-ləm" to derive a noun used in the sense of self-seeking nature or source of benefit to oneself.This principle is seen at work in many non-self-seeking derivatives as well. The suffixes are different from the above in these cases.
অ- + চা + -রম = অ-চা-রম
ə- ca -rəm = ə-ca-rəm
(a source where you can eat for free without paying for yourself)
অ- + চাউ + -রম = অ-চাউ-রম
ə- cau -rəm = ə-cau-rəm
(unduly big ambition)
অ- + তোং + -লম = অ-তোং-লম
ə- toŋ -ləm = ə-toŋ-ləm
((in seeking) a source of personal benefit without concern for others. I built this word and it has not yet taken off. However, this is very well understandable in the way the two above examples are and thus this can very well be a Manipuri word. This word formation process, though not very productive in Manipuri, can be used to form quite many words.)
অ- + ৱায় + -মল = অ-ৱায়-মলI made up the last example word, and this (despite the slight awkwardness usual with most new words) is well understandable and can well be a Manipuri word. There is an established word for this already--khutshumal /khut-ʃu-məl/. This word is also built by the same method.
ə- waj -məl = ə-waj-məl (charge for lent items)
অ- + শূ + -মল = অ-শূ-মল
ə- ʃu -məl = ə-ʃu-məl (wage)