Headedness and structure of Xitsonga compound words

Abstract

Compound words, formed by combining two or more morphemes, play a significant role in Xitsonga’s lexicon. This study employs a descriptive qualitative approach to examine how the head and modifier(s) interact to contribute to the overall structure and meaning of compound words in Xitsonga. Data were collected through unobtrusive measures from secondary sources. The Construction Morphology and Pragmatic Theory framework underpins this study. This article has established three types of compound words in Xitsonga distinguished by headedness: endocentric, copulative and exocentric. The left-headedness of endocentric compounds, the equal contribution of constituents in copulative compounds, and the elusive nature of exocentric compounds highlight the versatility and complexity of Xitsonga compound word formation. The study also found that the richness of Xitsonga compounding lies in the intricate relationship between semantics and culture, as it creates categories by combining morphemes from various lexical categories, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, ideophones and adverbs. These findings prove that compounding is a productive process for creating new vocabularies in Xitsonga.

Contribution: This study significantly enhances the understanding of Xitsonga morphology by systematically classifying compound words into endocentric, copulative and exocentric types based on headedness. It elucidates the equal and hierarchical roles of constituent morphemes, thereby highlighting the versatility and complexity of compound word formation in Xitsonga. The study also demonstrates the intricate relationship between semantics and cultural factors in the compounding process, showcasing how various lexical categories interact to create a rich and nuanced vocabulary.