-So- and -No-: Aged parents in new garb

Abstract

In this article the use of the formatives -so- and -no- is investigated in words like usokhaya ‘head of the household’ (< ikhaya ‘home’), uSobantu ‘Father of the people’ (< abantu ‘people’), uNomkhubulwane ‘Princess of the rain/harvest’ (< khubula ‘to rereap, resow’), and unompempe ‘referee’ (< impempe ‘whistle’). I also look at the way in which these formatives have been treated by scholars, debate their status as compound nouns, and examine the relationship between marking for sex and noun classes 1(a) and 3(a). The specific use of these morphemes in the formation of personal names and clan-names, as opposed to common nouns, is also investigated. Finally, I look at the productivity of these formatives in the developing Zulu language, particularly in relationship to adopting words from other languages.

In hierdie artikel word gekyk na die gebruik van die formatiewe -so- en -no- in woorde soos usokhaya ‘hoof van die huisgesin’ (< ikhaya ‘tuisplek’, uSobantu ‘Vader van die mense’ (< abantu ‘mense’), uNomkhubulwane ‘Prinses van die reën/oes’ (< khubula ‘herinsamel/heroes’), en unompempe ‘skeidsregter’ (< impempe ‘fluitjie’). Daar word ook gekyk na die wyse waarop hierdie formatiewe deur geleerdes behandel word; hulle status as komposita word bespreek, en ondersoek word ingestel na die verwantskap tussen geslagaanduiding en naamwoordklasse 1(a) en 3(a). Die spesifieke gebruik van hierdie morfeme in die vorming van persoonsname en stamname, teenoor gewone naamwoorde, word ook ondersoek. Uiteindelik word na die produktiwiteit van hierdie formatiewe in die ontwikkelende Zoeloetaal gekyk, in die besonder in verhouding tot die ontlening van woorde aan ander tale.