Verbal suffixes of derivation in Fang-Ntumu

Abstract

Verbal suffixes have been the subject of a protracted debate. Suffixes are diachronically defined as the elements of formation that are added at the end of a root or a radical (cf. Marouzeau, 1969:216; Phélizon, 1976:209; Mounin, 1995:311). This definition is not questioned in synchrony. In fact, it is said that a suffix is a morpheme (in this case, an affix) that falls within a list that is exhaustive, expressing certain grammatical val'ues (cf. Mounin, 1995). A distinction is made between flexional suffixes or endings (which are not the subject of this investigation) and derivational suffixes. Flexional suffixes help to form usual markers, such as those for gender and number in noun inflexion and tense indicators, number markers and person indicators for verbs; whereas derivational suffixes help to form new words from radicals (Dubois, Giacomo, Guespin, Marcellesi, Marcellesi & Mével, 1994:455).