Ranamemi Language

Morphology

• ablaut. Verbs, nouns and adjectives from a root are distinguished by the vowel pattern i/ae/a (verb/noun/adj); eg. chivu to speak, chae speech, chawa talkative; sisavu to sit, saesa chair, sasa stagnant, rotten. Many words in the lexicon have been formed in this way, but the process is no longer productive in Modern Ranamemi.

• affixation. This is the common method of word derivation in Modern Ranamemi. there are a large number of prefixes and suffixes which can alter the meaning or part of speech of a word.

  -su

  'act of, affairs of, matters of'; forms abstract nouns: maiza friend > maizasu friendship.

  -ji

  forms nouns of quality or state: medasa beautiful > medasaji beauty.

  ghi-

  'collection of': buste book > ghibuste library

  to-

  'expert at': rovu to cook > toro chef

  -da

  'one who does', instrument for, one characterized by: rovu to cook > roda a cook, ila fire > ilada match, idra light > idrada lamp

  -mu

  location for, result of: ilamu fireplace, akrivu to write > akrimu letter, note.

  -wa

  forms simple adjectives of quality, state or number: bona cold (n) > bonawa cold (adj)

  -dha

  adjective of state or result: rodha cooked; gholo hunger > gholodha hungry

  -na

  worthy of, capable of: yama love > yamana lovable, viwavu to see > viwana visible.

  -ga

  possessing, having: mada stone >: madaga rocky

  -pa

  resembling: madapa rock-like

  be-

  possess, use, wear: ghamsi shoe >: beghamsivu to be shod; diffusion or plurality: bhopivu to walk > bebhopivu to wander, stroll

  me-

  behave like, resemble: vola wave > mevolavu to wave, waver, be indecisive

  peri-

  cause to become, treat as, put in/on, cause to perform the act of, produce by action of, cause to undergo the action of, apply, remove, function as: highada ruler > perihighadavu to enthrone, treat/serve as ruler; dhauna oil > peridhaunavu to anoint; aspa water > peraspavu to dry (smthg)

  tura-

  sudden action, ability to be affected: ila fire > turilavu to burst into flames; wesduvu to eat > turawesdunya edible

  ghe-

  adversely affected by (noun): aspa water > ghaspavu to drown

• compounding. compounds are predominently attributive, eg. ilhatsu pear (from liha egg plus atsu fruit); pamamada uranium (pama glow + mada rock). However, coordinate compounds are not unknown: dida father + ama mother = didama family, waupa table + saesa chair = waupaesa furniture.

• reduplication: this is used to express diversity or collectivlty, similarity, aimlessness, reciprocity, diminution or intensity: buste book > busbuste books and such; chivu to speak > chichivu to chat; ba child > baba baby; idrada lamp > ididrada flashlight; miya small > mimiya tiny.

© 1999, Terrence Donnelly