Abstract

This paper explored derivational and inflectional affixes in Igala. Affixes are beautiful natural tools capable of throwing valuable light on the morphological characteristic features of any language, including that of Igala. In the method for the study, the researchers selected two linguists in the department of Igala, Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, and consulted them while identifying both derivational and inflectional affixes in the language. Then they assisted the researchers to achieve the following: (a) attach prefixes which comprise the seven vowel phonemes of Igala – ɑ-, e-, ɛ-, i-, o-, ɔ-, and u-, to the verb roots to change them to nouns; (b) add interfixes – -tú-, -nó-, -mɔ -, and -bɔ - between two roots to change them to compound words as well as change in meaning; and (iii) attach inflectional affixes àma- and àbó-, to the noun roots to inflect them for number or plurality. The following are some of the findings of the study: (i) that àbó- can only select the noun roots ɛ kɛ ɛ „man‟ and b ɛ „woman‟ for plurality, as in b kɛ ɛ „men‟ and b bú ɛ „women‟, but never ɛ nɛkɛ ɛ „man‟ and nob ɛ „woman‟; (ii) àbó- also has the semantic sense „people of‟; thus: àbó-pɔ:t hɑ:kɔ:t „people of Port Harcourt‟, b -u „people of the home house‟, b - „people of the great beyond‟ b -u ɔlaw „people of gwo law ; (iii) that ʤɔ is not necessarily a plural affix but only denotes a „group‟ or „gathering‟ of entities, as in ʤɔ olí „a group of trees‟, and that it can also be followed by àma-, as in ʤɔ moʧú „a group or gathering of witches wizards‟; and (iv) that àdò- as an affix, is a partitive, i.e. a unit of measurement for uncountable nouns, denoting „a pack or pile‟ of entities as in àdò-uʧu „a pack pile of yam‟, àdò-ɔk „a pack pile of harvested rice millet guinea corn‟, àdò-ɔ pá „a pack pile of groundnut‟.
Key words: Igala, affixes, derivation, inflection, affix ordering