DLAB Morphological Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a language: 'buk' = 'book,' 'buk-a' = 'books,' 'tri' = 'tree,' 'tri-e' = 'trees.' The plural suffix differs. What determines the form?
- Vowel harmony
- The final sound of the noun
- Noun class/gender (Correct answer)
- Syllable count
Correct answer: Noun class/gender
Since 'buk' ends in a consonant and takes '-a' while 'tri' also ends in a consonant/vowel and takes '-e,' the different plural forms cannot be predicted from phonology alone. This indicates a noun class system where each class has its own plural marker, similar to Bantu languages.
Question 2: Given: 'anda' = 'go,' 'anda-ndo' = 'going' (progressive), 'kome' = 'eat,' 'kome-ndo' = 'eating.' What does '-ndo' create?
- Past participle
- Present participle/gerund (Correct answer)
- Infinitive
- Imperative
Correct answer: Present participle/gerund
'-ndo' converts verbs into their present participle or gerund form: go → going, eat → eating. This suffix marks ongoing action and is identical to the Spanish gerund ending '-ndo' (andando, comiendo).
Question 3: Study: 'veni' = 'come,' 'veni-re' = 'to come,' 'dormi' = 'sleep,' 'dormi-re' = 'to sleep.' The suffix '-re' marks what verb form?
- Past tense
- The infinitive (Correct answer)
- The imperative
- The subjunctive
Correct answer: The infinitive
'-re' creates the infinitive form (to come, to sleep) from the verb stem. The infinitive is the base, unconjugated form of the verb often used with modal verbs and in complement clauses. This matches Latin infinitive endings like 'venire' (to come).
Question 4: In this language: 'mak-' root means 'big.' 'makas' = 'big (masculine),' 'makos' = 'big (feminine),' 'makis' = 'big (neuter).' What morphological process marks gender?
- Prefixation
- Vowel change in the suffix (apophony) (Correct answer)
- Tone change
- Consonant mutation
Correct answer: Vowel change in the suffix (apophony)
Gender is marked by changing the vowel in the suffix: '-as' (masculine), '-os' (feminine), '-is' (neuter). This vowel alternation (apophony) in suffixes to indicate grammatical gender is similar to systems found in some Indo-European languages.
Question 5: Given: 'teach' = 'doce,' 'teacher' = 'docente,' 'study' = 'estudi,' 'student' = 'estudiante.' What does the suffix '-nte/-ante' derive?
- The place where the action happens
- The tool used for the action
- The person who performs the action (Correct answer)
- The result of the action
Correct answer: The person who performs the action
'-nte/-ante' derives agent nouns: the person who performs the action (teacher = one who teaches, student = one who studies). This is the present active participle used as an agent noun, directly paralleling Romance language forms like Spanish 'docente/estudiante.'
Question 6: Study: 'kapa' = 'cover,' 'des-kapa' = 'uncover,' 'fara' = 'do,' 'des-fara' = 'undo.' What does 'des-' express?
- Repetition
- Reversal or negation of the action (Correct answer)
- Intensification
- Causation
Correct answer: Reversal or negation of the action
'Des-' reverses the meaning of the verb: cover → uncover, do → undo. This is a reversative prefix that negates or undoes the action expressed by the base verb. English uses 'un-' and 'de-' in the same way (do/undo, compose/decompose).
DLAB Morphological Analysis 3
In a language: 'buk' = 'book,' 'buk-a' = 'books,' 'tri' = 'tree,' 'tri-e' = 'trees.' The plural suffix differs.
What determines the form?