Nominal and Synthetic Compounds in Bassa: Formation and Inflectional Processes

The study focuses on a descriptive investigation of Bassa nominal and synthetic compounds, a Proto- Kru language sub-categorized under Western Kru family of Benu The study focuses on a descriptive investigation of Bassa nominal and synthetic compounds, a Proto- Kru language sub-categorized under Western Kru family of Benue Congo languages (Blench & Williamson, 1988; Williamson, 1982). The work studies both the pervasive nature of their derivational and inflectional processes in Bassa language. The instruments used for sourcing data for the investigation include, interview corroborated with the native intuitions of the researcher of the language under investigation. The study discovers that compounding is characterized by productive derivational processes. The rule of vowel elision obligatorily applies to the final vowel of the head noun (Ni) where the complement noun (N2) begins with an initial vowel sound. Second, where the compounds are inflected for number, the deverbalizing prefix, the head noun, (Ni), the agreement marker, and the complement (N2) undergo the appropriate inflectional process. Finally, compound formation is also characterized by agreement markers (that is between the head and its complement). The pertinent contribution this investigation does is the fact that some salient characteristics underlying compounding in the language has been discovered. The findings of the research can be used to stimulate further investigations on the compounding of other languages and comparing them with other languages Congo languages (Blench & Williamson, 1988; Williamson, 1982). The work studies both the pervasive nature of their derivational and inflectional processes in Bassa language. The instruments used for sourcing data for the investigation include, interview corroborated with the native intuitions of the researcher of the language under investigation. The study discovers that compounding is characterized by productive derivational processes. The rule of vowel elision obligatorily applies to the final vowel of the head noun (Ni) where the complement noun (N2) begins with an initial vowel sound. Second, where the compounds are inflected for number, the deverbalizing prefix, the head noun, (Ni), the agreement marker, and the complement (N2) undergo the appropriate inflectional process. Finally, compound formation is also characterized by agreement markers (that is between the head and its complement). The pertinent contribution this investigation does is the fact that some salient characteristics underlying compounding in the language has been discovered. The findings of the research can be used to stimulate further investigations on the compounding of other languages and comparing them with other languages.