Categories of Lukabarasi Nominal Compounds and their Pragmatic Functions

Abstract

Although the categories of nominal compounds in many Bantu languages have been described in the literature, their pragmatic functions are often unexplained. This paper examines this phenomenon in Lukabarasi language of Western Kenya, based on the Generative Morphological Theory (GMT) (Bochner, 1992). The study employed a descriptive research design. Data was collected from native speakers using purposive sampling and snowballing techniques. The collected data was analyzed using a content analysis to identify and describe emerging themes. We identified these types of Lukabarasi nominal compounds; Noun+ Noun, Noun+ Verb, and Verb+ Verb. The study established the process of acquiring compounds in Lukabarasi involves prefix deletion, vowel duplication, and nominalization of verbs. The study also found that pragmatic processes modify the meaning of the compound based on context. Lukabarasi has commonly prefixes of singular and plural nouns. The singular prefixes include omu-, eshi- and eli- while the plural prefixes are eva-, efu- and ofu-. We analyzed the pragmatic functions of compounds, finding they serve metaphoric, attitudinal, identification, and classifying functions. This study contributes to understanding the pragmatic functions of nominal compounds in Lukabarasi.