Morphosyntactic features of universal quantifiers in isiZulu and Xitsonga: A comparative study

Abstract

Due to their common roots within the Bantu language family, isiZulu and Xitsonga exhibit several shared linguistic features, notably the use of a noun class system. Yet, their distinct morphological rules differentiate them. This article examines the morphosyntactic features of quantifiers in Bantu languages, and then compares them using isiZulu and Xitsonga as its focus area. Transformational Generative Grammar (TGG) theory is used. Employing an interpretive qualitative approach, the study purposefully selected two Bibles and four language practitioners. The study demonstrates that universal quantifiers in both languages function as stems that attach to either prefixes or suffixes. The analysis indicates that the structural arrangement of universal quantifiers in relation to the nouns they modify typically places the nouns (headwords) before the quantifiers. Additionally, the findings reveal that the stems ‘-onke’ and ‘hinkw-’ as quantifiers both fulfill collective roles; however, ‘wonke’ is also distributive. ‘-onke’ and ‘hinkw-’ mostly replicate the prefix of the nouns they quantify, exhibiting a robust agreement system, and can function as pronouns while modifying both plural and singular nouns. Nevertheless, it is noted that ‘hinkw-’ does not appear with nouns from class 1. It is recommended that future research compares the morphosyntactic structures of quantifiers in other Bantu languages, comparing their agreement systems and their position in relation to nouns and other parts of speech.

Contribution: This article adds to linguistic scholarship, particularly within the study of Bantu languages. It enriches comparative analyses within this language family, shedding light on both shared and unique morphosyntactic features. It expands the understanding of the roles played by the two stems in agreement systems.