Abstract
M. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)
The purpose of this study is to supplement existing morphological and semantic
descriptions of deverbative nouns in Zulu and systematically, to describe all
relevant facts. The introductory chapter comprises an exposition of the problem and a survey of existing literature and viewpoints concerning deverbatives in the Bantu languages. A definition of the deverbative noun is also formulated. In chapter two deverbative endings are investigated with regard to their formal and semantic characteristics, distribution and their morphemic status. With regard to the five endings only four morphemes are distinguished, the fifth being an allomorph of one of these.
Chapter three comprises an investigation of deverbative nouns with reference to their meanings and the noun classes in which they appear. Deverbatives were found in all classes with the exception of the locative classes and with a relatively sporadic occurrence in classes 11 and 14. In general the semantic features of deverbative nouns in a specific class correspond with those of other nouns in the same class, although differences also occur. Infinitive forms (class 15) appeared to have special features.
In chapter four deverbative nouns which are derived from verb stems with verbal suffixes, are discussed. All verbal suffixes occur in deverbative nouns and this appears to be a general phenomenon. Research was also done to investigate whether the semantic value of a specific verbal suffix is retained in deverbatives. It appears that the semantic aspects concerned are mostly retained in the formation of deverbatives.
In chapter five non-nominal deverbatives are investigated especially with regard to the great degree of similarity between ideophones and verbal stems. The conclusion was drawn that non-nominal- deverbatives in Zulu are mostly ideophones. The general tendency appears to be that ideophones are derived from a verb stem with the (often abbreviated) ideophone retaining the semantic characteristics of the corresponding verb stem.