Circumfix
| Affixes |
|---|
| Prefix |
| Suffix |
| Circumfix |
| Duplifix |
| Infix |
| Interfix |
| Transfix |
| Simulfix |
| Suprafix |
| Disfix |
A circumfix is an affix, a morpheme that is placed around another morpheme. Circumfixes contrast with prefixes, attached to the beginnings of words; suffixes, that are attached at the end; and infixes, inserted in the middle. See also epenthesis. Circumfixes are extremely common in Indonesian, Malay[1] and Georgian.[2]
Contents |
Examples [edit]
Germanic languages [edit]
The circumfix is probably most widely known from the German past participle (ge- -t for regular verbs). The verb spielen, for example, has the participle gespielt. Dutch has a similar system (spelen – gespeeld in this case).
East Asian languages [edit]
In Japanese, some linguists consider o- -ni naru and o- -suru to be honorific circumfixes;[3] for example yomu → o-yomi ni naru (respectful), o-yomi suru (humble).
Austronesian languages [edit]
Indonesian and Malay have eight different circumfixes, namely per- -kan, per- -i, ber- -an, ke- -an, pen- -an, per- -an, se- -nya and ke- -i. For example, the circumfix can be added to the root adil (fair) to form keadilan (fairness).[4]
Other languages [edit]
In most North African and some Levantine varieties of Arabic, verbs are negated by placing the circumfix ma- -š around the verb together with all its prefixes and suffixed direct- and indirect-object pronouns. For example, Egyptian bitgibuhum-laha ("You bring them to her") is negated as ma-bitgibuhum-lahāš ("You don't bring them to her").
In Berber languages the feminine is marked with the circumfix t- -t. The word afus (hand) becomes tafust. In Kabyle, θissliθ "bride" derives from issli "groom". From bni, to build, with t--t we obtain tbnit, thou buildest.
In Hebrew, magdelet "magnifier", for example, the root is gdl "big" (in the H-stem hagdel "to enlarge") and the circumfix is m- -et.
Negation in Guaraní is also done with circumfixes, nd- -i and nd- -mo'ãi for future negations.
In Czech, as well as in Hungarian, superlative is formed by the circumfix (nej- -ší, resp. leg- -bb). In Czech nejmladší "youngest", for example, the root is mladý "young" and the circumfix is nej- -ší; in Hungarian legnagyobb "biggest", the root is nagy "big" and the circumfix is leg- -bb.
In Gurmanchema, noun classes are indicated by circumfix.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Tadmor, Uri (2005), "Malay-Indonesian and Malayic languages", in Strazny, Philipp, Encyclopedia of Linguistics, New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, pp. 644–647
- ^ Colarusso, John (2005), "Georgian and Caucasian languages", in Strazny, Philipp, Encyclopedia of Linguistics, New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, pp. 380–383
- ^ Boeckx, Cedric; Niinuma, Fumikazu (2004), "Conditions on Agreement in Japanese", Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 22 (3): 453–480, doi:10.1023/B:NALA.0000027669.59667.c5
- ^ Baryadi, I. Praptomo (2011). Morfologi dalam Ilmu Bahasa (in Indonesian). Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University Publishers. pp. 42–43.
