Verbal affix ordering in Hangaza language

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the factors triggering suffix ordering in the Hangaza language spoken in Tanzania. Suffix ordering pertinent to verb extensions has been controversial since the twentieth century. This is because languages display general and specific morphological, phonological, semantic, or/and syntactic linguistics features of affix ordering of verb extension. Some scholars argue that the order of suffixes is triggered by semantic scope, others claim that suffix combinations are triggered by syntax and morphology, and another group agrees that is triggered by the default templatic formative approach. Some of the morphemes in Hangaza regarding suffix ordering cannot be sufficiently explained in the present schematized approaches, this needs analysis. The research used the Mirror Principle and Morph Ordering Theories for data analysis. The former captures the scopes of morpheme ordering with each of their meaning. The suffix with narrow scopes appears closer to the root than the one with a wide scope. The latter was selected for explaining silent semantic scopes of the combined morphemes when the former seemed inadequate such as in Bantu languages. Documentary review and unstructured interviews were the instruments of data collection. The paper found that the tense – aspect, tone, semantic scope, morphotactic, personal pronouns, and phonology are factors for suffix ordering in Hangaza language. This paper recommends that there is a need for careful study of non-linguistic factors that may trigger affix ordering in our natural languages to see how they behave in making morphs to be ordered or attached from the verb root or stem.