
- Dutch
- Frisian
- Afrikaans
- Dutch
- Phonology
- Segment inventory
- Phonotactics
- Phonological processes
- Phonology-morphology interface
- Word stress
- Primary stress in simplex words
- Monomorphemic words
- Diachronic aspects
- Generalizations on stress placement
- Default penultimate stress
- Lexical stress
- The closed penult restriction
- Final closed syllables
- The diphthong restriction
- Superheavy syllables (SHS)
- The three-syllable window
- Segmental restrictions
- Phonetic correlates
- Stress shifts in loanwords
- Quantity-sensitivity
- Secondary stress
- Vowel reduction in unstressed syllables
- Stress in complex words
- Primary stress in simplex words
- Accent & intonation
- Clitics
- Spelling
- Morphology
- Word formation
- Compounding
- Nominal compounds
- Verbal compounds
- Adjectival compounds
- Affixoids
- Coordinative compounds
- Synthetic compounds
- Reduplicative compounds
- Phrase-based compounds
- Elative compounds
- Exocentric compounds
- Linking elements
- Separable complex verbs (SCVs)
- Gapping of complex words
- Particle verbs
- Copulative compounds
- Derivation
- Numerals
- Derivation: inputs and input restrictions
- The meaning of affixes
- Non-native morphology
- Cohering and non-cohering affixes
- Prefixation
- Suffixation
- Nominal suffixation: person nouns
- Conversion
- Pseudo-participles
- Bound forms
- Nouns
- Nominal prefixes
- Nominal suffixes
- -aal and -eel
- -aar
- -aard
- -aat
- -air
- -aris
- -ast
- Diminutives
- -dom
- -een
- -ees
- -el (nominal)
- -elaar
- -enis
- -er (nominal)
- -erd
- -erik
- -es
- -eur
- -euse
- ge...te
- -heid
- -iaan, -aan
- -ief
- -iek
- -ier
- -ier (French)
- -ière
- -iet
- -igheid
- -ij and allomorphs
- -ijn
- -in
- -ing
- -isme
- -ist
- -iteit
- -ling
- -oir
- -oot
- -rice
- -schap
- -schap (de)
- -schap (het)
- -sel
- -st
- -ster
- -t
- -tal
- -te
- -voud
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Univerbation
- Neo-classical word formation
- Construction-dependent morphology
- Morphological productivity
- Compounding
- Inflection
- Inflection and derivation
- Allomorphy
- The interface between phonology and morphology
- Word formation
- Syntax
- Preface and acknowledgements
- Verbs and Verb Phrases
- 1 Characterization and classification
- 2 Projection of verb phrases I:Argument structure
- 3 Projection of verb phrases II:Verb frame alternations
- Introduction
- 3.1. Main types
- 3.2. Alternations involving the external argument
- 3.3. Alternations of noun phrases and PPs
- 3.3.1. Dative/PP alternations (dative shift)
- 3.3.1.1. Dative alternation with aan-phrases (recipients)
- 3.3.1.2. Dative alternation with naar-phrases (goals)
- 3.3.1.3. Dative alternation with van-phrases (sources)
- 3.3.1.4. Dative alternation with bij-phrases (possessors)
- 3.3.1.5. Dative alternation with voor-phrases (benefactives)
- 3.3.1.6. Conclusion
- 3.3.1.7. Bibliographical notes
- 3.3.2. Accusative/PP alternations
- 3.3.3. Nominative/PP alternations
- 3.3.1. Dative/PP alternations (dative shift)
- 3.4. Some apparent cases of verb frame alternation
- 3.5. Bibliographical notes
- 4 Projection of verb phrases IIIa:Selection of clauses/verb phrases
- 5 Projection of verb phrases IIIb:Argument and complementive clauses
- Introduction
- 5.1. Finite argument clauses
- 5.2. Infinitival argument clauses
- 5.3. Complementive clauses
- 6 Projection of verb phrases IIIc:Complements of non-main verbs
- 7 Projection of verb phrases IIId:Verb clusters
- 8 Projection of verb phrases IV: Adverbial modification
- 9 Word order in the clause I:General introduction
- 10 Word order in the clause II:Position of the finite verb (verb-first/second)
- 11 Word order in the clause III:Clause-initial position (wh-movement)
- Introduction
- 11.1. The formation of V1- and V2-clauses
- 11.2. Clause-initial position remains (phonetically) empty
- 11.3. Clause-initial position is filled
- 12 Word order in the clause IV:Postverbal field (extraposition)
- 13 Word order in the clause V: Middle field (scrambling)
- 14 Main-clause external elements
- Nouns and Noun Phrases
- 1 Characterization and classification
- 2 Projection of noun phrases I: complementation
- Introduction
- 2.1. General observations
- 2.2. Prepositional and nominal complements
- 2.3. Clausal complements
- 2.4. Bibliographical notes
- 3 Projection of noun phrases II: modification
- Introduction
- 3.1. Restrictive and non-restrictive modifiers
- 3.2. Premodification
- 3.3. Postmodification
- 3.3.1. Adpositional phrases
- 3.3.2. Relative clauses
- 3.3.3. Infinitival clauses
- 3.3.4. A special case: clauses referring to a proposition
- 3.3.5. Adjectival phrases
- 3.3.6. Adverbial postmodification
- 3.4. Bibliographical notes
- 4 Projection of noun phrases III: binominal constructions
- Introduction
- 4.1. Binominal constructions without a preposition
- 4.2. Binominal constructions with a preposition
- 4.3. Bibliographical notes
- 5 Determiners: articles and pronouns
- Introduction
- 5.1. Articles
- 5.2. Pronouns
- 5.3. Bibliographical notes
- 6 Numerals and quantifiers
- 7 Pre-determiners
- Introduction
- 7.1. The universal quantifier al 'all' and its alternants
- 7.2. The pre-determiner heel 'all/whole'
- 7.3. A note on focus particles
- 7.4. Bibliographical notes
- 8 Syntactic uses of noun phrases
- Adjectives and Adjective Phrases
- 1 Characteristics and classification
- 2 Projection of adjective phrases I: Complementation
- 3 Projection of adjective phrases II: Modification
- 4 Projection of adjective phrases III: Comparison
- 5 Attributive use of the adjective phrase
- 6 Predicative use of the adjective phrase
- 7 The partitive genitive construction
- 8 Adverbial use of the adjective phrase
- 9 Participles and infinitives: their adjectival use
- 10 Special constructions
- Adpositions and adpositional phrases
- 1 Characteristics and classification
- Introduction
- 1.1. Characterization of the category adposition
- 1.2. A formal classification of adpositional phrases
- 1.3. A semantic classification of adpositional phrases
- 1.3.1. Spatial adpositions
- 1.3.2. Temporal adpositions
- 1.3.3. Non-spatial/temporal prepositions
- 1.4. Borderline cases
- 1.5. Bibliographical notes
- 2 Projection of adpositional phrases: Complementation
- 3 Projection of adpositional phrases: Modification
- 4 Syntactic uses of the adpositional phrase
- 5 R-pronominalization and R-words
- 1 Characteristics and classification
- Phonology
- Frisian
- General
- Phonology
- Segment inventory
- Phonotactics
- Phonological Processes
- Assimilation
- Vowel nasalization
- Syllabic sonorants
- Final devoicing
- Fake geminates
- Vowel hiatus resolution
- Vowel reduction introduction
- Schwa deletion
- Schwa insertion
- /r/-deletion
- d-insertion
- {s/z}-insertion
- t-deletion
- Intrusive stop formation
- Breaking
- Vowel shortening
- h-deletion
- Replacement of the glide w
- Word stress
- Clitics
- Allomorphy
- Orthography of Frisian
- Morphology
- Inflection
- Word formation
- Derivation
- Prefixation
- Infixation
- Suffixation
- Nominal suffixes
- Verbal suffixes
- Adjectival suffixes
- Adverbial suffixes
- Numeral suffixes
- Interjectional suffixes
- Onomastic suffixes
- Conversion
- Derivation
- Syntax
- Verbs and Verb Phrases
- Characteristics and classification
- Unergative and unaccusative subjects
- Evidentiality
- To-infinitival clauses
- Predication and noun incorporation
- Ellipsis
- Imperativus-pro-Infinitivo
- Expression of irrealis
- Embedded Verb Second
- Agreement
- Negation
- Nouns & Noun Phrases
- Classification
- Complementation
- Modification
- Partitive noun constructions
- Referential partitive constructions
- Partitive measure nouns
- Numeral partitive constructions
- Partitive question constructions
- Nominalised quantifiers
- Kind partitives
- Partitive predication with prepositions
- Bare nominal attributions
- Articles and names
- Pronouns
- Quantifiers and (pre)determiners
- Interrogative pronouns
- R-pronouns
- Syntactic uses
- Adjective Phrases
- Characteristics and classification
- Complementation
- Modification and degree quantification
- Comparison by degree
- Comparative
- Superlative
- Equative
- Attribution
- Agreement
- Attributive adjectives vs. prenominal elements
- Complex adjectives
- Noun ellipsis
- Co-occurring adjectives
- Predication
- Partitive adjective constructions
- Adverbial use
- Participles and infinitives
- Adposition Phrases
- Characteristics and classification
- Complementation
- Modification
- Intransitive adpositions
- Predication
- Preposition stranding
- Verbs and Verb Phrases
- Afrikaans
- General
- Phonology
- Afrikaans phonology
- Segment inventory
- Overview of Afrikaans vowels
- The diphthongised long vowels /e/, /ø/ and /o/
- The unrounded mid-front vowel /ɛ/
- The unrounded low-central vowel /ɑ/
- The unrounded low-central vowel /a/
- The rounded mid-high back vowel /ɔ/
- The rounded high back vowel /u/
- The rounded and unrounded high front vowels /i/ and /y/
- The unrounded and rounded central vowels /ə/ and /œ/
- The diphthongs /əi/, /œy/ and /œu/
- Overview of Afrikaans consonants
- The bilabial plosives /p/ and /b/
- The alveolar plosives /t/ and /d/
- The velar plosives /k/ and /g/
- The bilabial nasal /m/
- The alveolar nasal /n/
- The velar nasal /ŋ/
- The trill /r/
- The lateral liquid /l/
- The alveolar fricative /s/
- The velar fricative /x/
- The labiodental fricatives /f/ and /v/
- The approximants /ɦ/, /j/ and /ʋ/
- Overview of Afrikaans vowels
- Word stress
- The phonetic properties of stress
- Primary stress on monomorphemic words in Afrikaans
- Background to primary stress in monomorphemes in Afrikaans
- Overview of the Main Stress Rule of Afrikaans
- The short vowels of Afrikaans
- Long vowels in monomorphemes
- Primary stress on diphthongs in monomorphemes
- Exceptions
- Stress shifts in place names
- Stress shift towards word-final position
- Stress pattern of reduplications
- Phonological processes
- Vowel related processes
- Consonant related processes
- Homorganic glide insertion
- Phonology-morphology interface
- Phonotactics
- Morphology
- Syntax
- Afrikaans syntax
- Nouns and noun phrases
- Characteristics of the NP
- Classification of nouns
- Complementation of NPs
- Modification of NPs
- Binominal and partitive constructions
- Referential partitive constructions
- Partitive measure nouns
- Numeral partitive constructions
- Partitive question constructions
- Partitive constructions with nominalised quantifiers
- Partitive predication with prepositions
- Binominal name constructions
- Binominal genitive constructions
- Bare nominal attribution
- Articles and names
- Pronouns
- Quantifiers, determiners and predeterminers
- Syntactic uses of the noun phrase
- Adjectives and adjective phrases
- Characteristics and classification of the AP
- Complementation of APs
- Modification and Degree Quantification of APs
- Comparison by comparative, superlative and equative degree
- Attribution of APs
- Predication of APs
- The partitive adjective construction
- Adverbial use of APs
- Participles and infinitives as adjectives
- Verbs and verb phrases
- Characterisation and classification
- Argument structure
- Verb frame alternations
- Complements of non-main verbs
- Verb clusters
- Complement clauses
- Adverbial modification
- Word order in the clause: Introduction
- Word order in the clause: position of the finite Verb
- Word order in the clause: Clause-initial position
- Word order in the clause: Extraposition and right-dislocation in the postverbal field
- Word order in the middle field
- Emphatic constructions
- Adpositions and adposition phrases
Circumfixation (also sometimes called ambifixation, or parasynthesis in some of the literature) is the process of adding a bound morpheme (i.e. a circumfix; also sometimes called an ambifix, or discontinuous affix) at the left and right edge of a base word simultaneously, thus producing a circumfixed word.
Circumfixes in Afrikaans are mostly category-determining (i.e. changing the syntactic category of the complex word as a whole) as in example (1), but can also be category-neutral (i.e. not changing the syntactic category of the circumfixed word) as in example (2).
be·tyd·s |
[[be](ADVZ)[tyd](N)[s](ADVZ)](ADV) |
ADVZ·time·ADVZ |
in/on time, timeously |
[Note that neither *be·tyd nor *tyd·s are words in Afrikaans.] |
ge·berg·te |
[[ge](CN)[berg](N)[te](CN)](N) |
CN·mountain·CN |
mountain range |
[Although ge·berg PST·store stored is a possible word in Afrikaans, it has no bearing on ge·berg·te. Also, *berg·te is not a valid word in Afrikaans.] |
The only circumfix in Afrikaans that is noticeably productive, is the participial circumfix ge-...-t/d (with the allomorphs ge-...-ø, ø-...-t/d, and ø-...-ø; the latter two occurring in cases when the verbal stem begins with an unstressed prefix).
ge·balanseer·d |
PST.PTCP·balance·PST.PTCP |
balanced |
ge·koek·ø |
PST.PTCP·mat·PST.PTCP |
matted (hair) |
ø·ontnugter·d |
PST.PTCP·disillusion·PST.PTCP |
disillusioned |
ø·verbaas·ø |
PST.PTCP·surprise·PST.PTCP |
surprised |
- Following Bauer's (2003) analysis of German participles, the process of forming past participles in Afrikaans is considered here as circumfixation.
- The participial circumfix ge-...-t/d is most frequently realised as its allomorph ge-...-ø, as in example (4) above. Since this form of the verb (i.e. only with ge- before the verbal stem) is so frequently used in the past tense construction and the passive voice construction, this circumfix has evolved to become only a prefix in such constructions. Hence, it is of more practical value, and theoretically simpler to say that the past participle in the past tense construction and in the passive voice construction is formed by means of the prefix [ge](PST) and [ge](PASS) respectively, rather than by means of a circumfix with a zero right-hand part. In all other constructions where the past participle is used (i.e. as an adjective), it is preferable to analyse the past participle as a verb stem plus circumfix.
- For verbs ending in
l,
m,
n,
ng,
r, a vowel, or a diphthong, the
allomorph ge-...-d (as in (7)) is
optionally realised as a variant of ge-...-ø (as in (8)) when the participle is used
postnominally (AWS-11, rule 19.11).
However, when used prenominally in the attributive function, ge-...-d is always realised (as in (9);
AWS-11, rule 11.9).
Example 7
Die katoen sal dus nie ge·sertifiseer·d wees nie. the cotton shall therefore not PST.PTCP·certify·PST.PTCP be PTCL.NEG The cotton will therefore not be certified. VivA-KP Example 8
... elke bladsy moet ge·sertifiseer·ø wees. ... each page must PST.PTCP·certify·PST.PTCP be ... each page should be certified. VivA-KP Example 9
'n ge·sertifiseer·d·e afskrif a PST.PTCP·certify·PST.PTCP·ATTR copy a certified copy VivA-KP - The allomorph ge-...-d is always
realised in attributively used prenominal past participles of verb stems
ending in
b or
d,
preceded by a short vowel (except
[i] or
[u])
(AWS-11, rule 11.10). For
example:
Example 10
ge·rib·d·e materiaal PST.PTCP·rib·PST.PTCP·ATTRT fabric ribbed fabric - We see that ge-...-t is only realised
when the past participle of verb stems ending in
k and
p is used prenominally with an
attributive -e
(AWS-11, rule 11.6). In (4) above, ge·koek·ø will be used typically in a sentence like (11). This is
contrasted with the prenominally used form in example (12).
Example 11
Haar hare is ge·gekoek·ø. her hair be.PRS PST.PTCP·mat·PST.PTCP Her hair is matted Example 12
ge·koek·t·e hare PST.PTCP·mat·PST.PTCP·ATTR hair matted hair - When used prenominally in the attributive function, the past participles
of verb stems ending in
f,
g, or
s can be formed by either ge-...-d or ge-...-t (AWS-11, rule 11.7).
For example, both (13) and (14) are found in corpora:
Example 13
'n in+ge·lig·d·e aanbieder an in+PST.PTCP·light·PST.PTCP·ATTR presenter an informed presenter VivA-KP Example 14
'n in+ge·lig·t·e besluit an in+PST.PTCP·light·PST.PTCP·ATTR decision an informed decision VivA-KP - The allomorphs ø-...-t/d and ø-...-ø are realised when the verbal stem
begins with an unstressed prefix, as in (15) below (also see Conradie 2012, as well as the discussion here). The same principles as above hold true for the
realisation of ø-...-d (example (15)),
vs. ø-...-t (example (16)), vs. ø-...-ø (example (17)).
Example 15
... dat ons veilig en beskerm·d sal voel ... ... that we safe and protect·PST.PTCP shall feel ... ... that we will feel safe and protected ... VivA-KP Example 16
'n ontsnap·t·e misdadiger an escape·PST.PTCP·ATTR criminal an escaped criminal Example 17
Hy was erg ø·verbaas·ø. he was very PST.PTCP·surprise·PST.PTCP He was highly surprised. - The past participle form of a separable complex
verb is also formed by means of circumfixation, but only
applied to the verbal stem (i.e. excluding the
left-hand particle) (AWS-11, rule 19.6).
The verbal stem also serves as the phonological context to determine
which allomorph will be realised. In (18) the seperable complex verb is
af+takel
[[af](PREP.PTCL)[takel](V)](V)
down+rig
to
demolish, which then becomes af+ge·takel·d
[[af](PREP.PTCL)[ge](PST.PTCP)[takel](V)[d](PST.PTCP)](ADJ)
demolished
by appending the participial circumfix to the verb stem only.
Inseparable verb compounds, like rang+skik
rank+order
to
arrange (e.g. flowers), are circumfixed
like ordinary verbs, as in (19).
Example 18
Het jy al iets meer af+ge·takel·d ge·sien? have you ever something more down+PST.PTCP·rig·PST.PTCP PST·see Have you ever seen something more demolished? VivA-KP Example 19
alfabeties ge·rang+skik·t·e temas alphabetically PST.PTCP·rank+order·PST.PTCP·ATTR themes alphabetically arranged themes VivA-KP - Lexicalised past participle forms of roundabout 200 verbs have been inherited from Dutch strong verbs. It is of no practical or theoretical use to analyse such forms morphologically. Hence, a past participle like gebroke broken is usually glossed/annotated as gebroke break.PST.PTCP < breek to break.
For an alternative view on the formation of past participles, see the Dutch topic on verbal inflection.
Like the participial circumfix, all other circumfixes in Afrikaans are from the native stratum, and they are all stress neutral. They are all practically unproductive.
Based by and large on Combrink (1990), the table below presents known circumfixes in Afrikaans words.
Circumfix | Meaning | Base category | Example |
be-...-d | [intense SEM(A)](A) | A | be·simpel·d ADVZ·foolish·ADVZ foolish(ly), silly |
be-...-ig | [to have SEM(N)](V) | N | be·ëd·ig VBZ·oath·VBZ to swear in; to put on oath (< eed) |
be-...-ing | [collection/range of SEM(N)](N) | N | be·huis·ing CN·house·CN housing; accommodation |
[that which have been SEM(root)](N) | root | be·send·ing NMLZ·send·NMLZ consignment; shipment | |
be-...-s (only two attested cases) | [on/during SEM(N)](ADV) | N | be·dag·s ADVZ·day·ADVZ by day (also see (1) above) |
ge-...-ig | [with SEM(N)](A) | N | ge·regt·ig ADJZ·justice·ADJZ entitled; warranted (< reg) |
ge-...-te | [collection/range of SEM(N)](N) | N | ge·been·te CN·bone·CN skeleton (also see (2) above) |
on-...-baar | [impossible to SEM(V)](A) | V | on·misken·baar ADJZ·over.look·ADJZ undeniable, unmistakable |
on-...-ig | [without SEM(N)](A) | N | on·will·ig ADJZ·will·ADJZ unwilling (< wil) |
on-...-lik | [impossible to SEM(V)](A) | V | on·bedaar·lik ADJZ·quieten·ADJZ uncontrollable |
on-...-s | [not like SEM(V)](A) | V | on·verwag·s ADJZ·expect·ADJZ unexpected(ly) |
s-...-s | [during SEM(N)](ADV) | N | s·nag·s ADVZ·night·ADVZ at night; nightly |
ver-...-er | [to make more SEM(A)](V) | A | ver·oud·er VBZ·old·VBZ to age |
ver-...-ig | [to make SEM(N)](V) | N | ver·en·ig VBZ·one·VBZ to unify (< een) |
- Bauer, Laurie2003Introducing linguistic morphologyEdinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
- Combrink, J.G.H1990Afrikaanse morfologie: capita exemplaria.Academica
- Conradie, C. Jac2012Historical Linguistics 2009. Selected papers from the 19th International Conference on Historical LinguisticsThe Dutch-Afrikaans participial prefix ge-: A case of degrammaticalization?John Benjamin131-153
