OVERVIEW


1. Introduction
2. What is nominalization: An Overview
3. Nominalization in Igbo: Types
4. Nominalization in some African languages
5. Conclusion

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 1. Introduction

Nominalization is simply the processes associated with the derivation
of nominal. Nominal, technically refers to a noun or group of words
that functions as a noun. In other words, nominalization is the use of a
verb, adjective or an adverb as a noun, or head of a noun phrase, with
or without morphological transformation. Some languages simply
allow verbs to be used as nouns, while some require some form of
morphological transformation. E.g. of languages that have both cases
is English. Nouns can be derived from other categories of speech and
through the process of prefixation in which a prefix is attached to the
verb root to derive nominals such as verbal nominal, agentive,
instrumental nominalizations etc.
With regard to Igbo language and indeed most African
languages, nouns are derived from various morphological processes.
Anagbogu (1990) recognizes seven nominalizing forms in Igbo. 3
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 2. An Overview of Nominalization

Nominalization is a term used to refer to the process of
deriving nouns from a combination of other parts of speech or
phrasal entities.
 Recall that in Inflectional vs. derivational
morphology
Derivation – involves creating new lexemes from
already existing ones which is one of the chief
functions of derivational morphology.
- may change categories of words e.g. Verb > Noun e.g
teach - teacher, Verb > Adjective, e.g. try > trying,
Noun > Noun, e.g boy > boyhood; vicar > vicarage
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 2. An Overview of Nominalization


Nouns are derived from various morphological processes such
as:
 Affixation (suffixation, prefixation, interfixation,
infixation, circumfixation),
-suffix follows the base: teach-er, paint-er etc. Most common
type of affixation. Commonly category changing
-prefix is added in front of the base: un-happy, dis-courage
etc. category change infrequent (en-throne)
-interfix: precedes one root but follows another:
anumamu, egwuregwu etc.
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 2. An Overview of Nominalization


Nouns are derived from various morphological processes such as:
-infix: an affix that divides the root: al-bloody-mighty,Uni-
bloody-versity, Kitab – ‘book’ (Arabic), fikas ‘strong’
<fumikas ‘to be strong’(Bontoc/Philippines)
-circumfix: a discontinuous morph composed of two parts
which embrace the base element: where
pref. and suff. are also independent affixes, cf. English
bold < em-bolden, live < en-liven. In Igbo, the circumfixal
frame is a/e – mu (Anagbogu, 1990);
esi mu nri ‘act of cooking food’; agba mu oso ‘act of running’
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 2. An Overview of Nominalization


Nouns are derived from various morphological processes such
as:
 Compounding: involves two or more words combining into
a morphological unit e.g. girlfriend, newspaper, seaside,
friendship, etc.
 Reduplication: (repetition / copying) e.g Malay: orang
‘man’, orang-orang ‘men’; Igbo: mmadu ‘person’, mmadu
mmadu,‘multitude of persons’;
 je ‘go’ ojije ‘going’ (partial redupl.) etc.

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 2. An Overview of Nominalization

Derivational meanings 
Nouns can be derived from verbs, adjectives from nouns etc,
for such cases, the terms denominal (‘derived from a noun’),
deverbal (‘derived from a verb’) and deadjectival (‘derived from
an adjective’) are in general use.
(I) Derived nouns:
 Deverbal nouns (N < V): is a nominal derived from verb
e.g(1). Eng: action (n) < act (v)
marriage (n) < marry (v)
Agent noun: drink-er (n) < drink (v)
Patient noun: invit-ee (n) < invite (v) 8
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 2. An Overview of Nominalization


Deverbal nouns in Igbo are derived by prefixing a vowel
or a syllabic nasal to the verb stem.
e.g.(2) álụ̄ (n) < -lụ (v)
‘abomination’ ‘violate’
úchè (n) < -chè (v)
‘thought, mind’ ‘think
Agent noun: ọkụ igba < kụ igba
er-beat drum ‘beat the drum’
‘drummer’
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 2. An Overview of Nominalization


Instrument noun: e.g. (3) ngwu ana (n) < igwu ana (v)
digger ground to-dig ground
‘an instrument used in digging out yams’
Note: this type of noun takes complement. A noun can function
as a subject/object, complement of a verb, object of preposition
etc.
 Deajectival nouns (N < A)
(4) Eng: newness (n) < new (A) ; faith (n) < faithful (A) etc.
Person noun (Russian): umn-ik (n) < umn-yj (A)
‘clever guy’ ‘smart, clever
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 2. An Overview of Nominalization

 Denominal nouns ( N < N): 

(5) Eng: kingdom (n) < king (n), boyhood < boy etc
female noun (German): konig-in (n) ‘queen’< konig (n) ‘king’.

(II) Derived verbs : derived from verbs ( less common)

 Deverbal verbs (v < v)
E.g (6) Eng (repetitive verb): re-write < write
Denominal verbs (n < v):
E.g.(7) Eng: import (n) < import (v) etc.

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 2. An Overview of Nominalization


(III) Derived adjectives: derived from adjectives (more less
common than derived verbs)
 Deverbal adjectives (A < V):
(8). Eng/spanish; talkative/habla-dor (A) < talk/habla-r (v) etc.
 Denominal adjectives (A < N) and deadjectival adjectives (A <
A) are less productive but they can be found in some indo-
European languages. For details (See: Haspelmath & Sims
2013, p. 86 – 89).

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 3. Nominalization in Igbo

 Anagbogu (1990:47), recognizes seven nominal forms in Igbo.
He divides them into two main categories namely: those that
have semantic feature [+ concrete] e.g OVS, NVS and EVS;
while those with the semantic feature [+abstract] include: the
ORED, -mU, N- and the –ghu (ghi) forms.

 NOTE: the primary meaning of all the nominalizations is

compositional.

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 3. Nominalization in Igbo

Igbo
Nominalization

[+Concrete] [+Abstract]

OVS NVS EVS ORED -mU N- -GHU

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 3.1 Concrete nominalizations
in Igbo

Those that have semantic feature [+ concrete] include: OVS, NVS and EVS

(I). The OVS form : This term is used to denote nominalizations which are agentive.
Where O- = doer/agentive prefix; VS = action/verb stem; and Argument (Arg.) = Patient (pat.)
Examples:

(9). Ògbú m̀màdù = agent/patient

er-kill person
‘murderer’
(10). Ò tá ànù = agent/patient
er-eat meat

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 3.1 Concrete nominalizations
in Igbo

(II). The NVS form is used to denote nominalizations that are instrumental.
It has semantic composition. Where N- = that which does/used for doing (instr
prefix); VS = action/verb stem; and Arg. = Patient (pat.)
Examples:
(11). ǹgwú àlà = Instrument/pat.
that which is used to dig
‘digger’
(12). ǹsí nrī = Instr./pat
That which is used to cook
‘cooker’
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 3.1 Concrete nominalizations
in Igbo

(II). The NVS
Examples:
(13). Ḿvó ísī = instrument/pat.
that which is used for combing the head i.e
‘comb’

(14). Ḿgbá áká

that which run (the) hand
‘ a ring’

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 3.1 Concrete nominalizations
in Igbo

(III). The EVS form: denotes nominalization which takes the agentive negative
prefix E (e/a)
Where E (a/e) = non-doer/agentive negative; VS = action/verb stem; and Arg. =
Pat. There is an agentive negative (neg.)/pat. relationship within a given EVS
form.
Examples:
(15). émē njó = agentive neg./pat.
non-do evil
‘non-evil-doer’
(16). ágā n’irú = agentive neg./pat.
non-go in front
‘non-leader’
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 3.2 Abstract nominalizations
in Igbo

Those with the semantic feature [+abstract] include: the ORED, -mU, N- and the
ghu forms. They are classified into two categories based on the positions they
occur in sentences.

Abstract
Nominalization

-mU and –ghu (ghi)

ORED and N- forms: cannot
forms: can occur
occur in object positions with
with most stative
stative verbs
verbs

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 3.2 Abstract nominalizations
in Igbo

(IV). The ORED form: consists of the prefix O-, the reduplicated verb stem and
the noun complement.
Examples:
(17). òjíjé ólū < -jè oĺ ū
‘going (to) work’ ‘go work’

(18). òtíté ófē < ‘te ófē

‘preparing soup’ ‘prepare soup’

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 3.2 Abstract nominalizations
in Igbo

(V). The -mU form: consists of the prefix -E, a verb stem, the suffix –mU and
a complement which can be either a noun or a prepositional phrase.
Examples:
(19). èrímú nrí < -rí nrí
‘eating food’ ‘eat food ’

(20). àgàmù n’írú < -gá n’írú

‘going forward’ ‘go in front’

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 3.2 Abstract nominalizations
in Igbo

(VI). The -N form: consists of the prefix N-, the verb stem and a complement
which is either a noun or a prepositional phrase.
Examples:
(21). ǹzú áfiá < -zú áfíá
to buy market buy market
‘trading’ ‘trade’

(22). ǹnì ózú < -nì ózū

to bury corpse bury corpse
‘burial’ ‘bury’

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 3.2 Abstract nominalizations
in Igbo

(VII). The –ghu (i) form: This is the negative infinitive. Its constituents
include: the prefix E- (a/e), followed by VS and a negative suffix –ghu and a
noun complement
Examples:
(23). àgbághí ósó < -gbá ósō
not to run race to run race
‘not running away’

(24). érīghī íhé < rí íhē

not to eat thing to eat thing
‘not being able to eat’
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 3.2 Abstract nominalizations
in Igbo

RECALL: That the abstract forms are classified into two categories based on the
positions they occur in sentences. While the ORED and N-forms cannot occur
in object positions with stative verbs; the –mU and –ghu forms can occur with
most stative verbs.
(25a). ORED: *Ada no ozuzu ike
N-form: Ada no nzu ike
b). -mU: Ada no ezumu ike
Ada is staying resting strength
‘Ada is resting’
-ghu: Ada no ezughi ike
Ada is staying not resting strength
‘Ada is staying without resting’
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 4. Nominalizations in some
African Languages

In some African languages, a noun is formed from a combination of a prefix and a
verb phrase or from the combination of a prefix and other categories. Examples
can be found in Koring language spoken in parts of Ebonyi and Benue states.
Nominals are also derived by means of prefixation to the verb root in Edo, Igbo
etc.
Example of deverbal nominals with monosyllabic verb root in Koring:

(26a) dú < kↄ́dú

‘grow’ ‘growth’

b. lí < kúlí

‘bury’ ‘burial’
Can1/22/2023
you identify the nominalizing prefixes?
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 4. Nominalizations in some
African Languages

Examples of Instrumental Nominalization in Koring:

(27). záá ↄ́gbà < kἑzáá ↄ́gbà

wash cloth instr. wash cloth
that which is used for washing cloth
‘washing machine’

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 4. Nominalizations in some
African Languages

Examples of Singular Agentive Nominalization in Koring:

(28a). kum kujon < okum kujon

‘climb up’ Agt. climb up
‘one who climbs up’
‘a climber’

b. sóŋ kↄ́bↄ̀ < ósóŋ kↄ̀bↄ́

‘count money’ ‘Agt. count money’
‘one who counts money’
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 4. Nominalizations in some
African Languages

Examples of Gerundive and agentive nominalization in Edo:

(29a). òlìzé < ò lì ízè

‘boiling rice’ ‘nom. pref. cook rice’

b. òtòxà < ò tò òxá

‘a story teller’ ‘nom.pref. tell story’
(Adéníyì, 2010:5-6)

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 Activity

 Tee deverbal infinitive nominal is marked by a CV-
CV low low prefix gija attached to a corresponding
verb root. How would you nominalize the following
forms?

 Su ‘receive’
 dakↄ ‘explain’
 eblo ‘examine’

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 Activity

 tↄge ‘teach
 de ‘eat’
 jep ‘jep’
 nↄ ‘learn’
 we (hiↄ) ‘ sing (song)

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 4. Summary and Conclusion

The foregoing discusses nominalization in Igbo and some African
languages. It is observed that nominals are derived by means of
prefixation to form agentive nominals, gerundive nominals, instrumental
nominals etc.

Derivational morphology is very productive in English, Igbo and in some

african languages.

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 References

Adeniyi H. 2010. Tone and nominalization in Edo in California Linguistics Notes.
Vol. xxxv:1.

Anagbogu P. N.2003. Nominalizing Prefixes of Koring in Ndimele (ed.) a

festschrift in honor of Kay Williamson, four decades in the study of
languages and linguistics in Nigeria. Port Harcourt: Emhai Press, pp. 701-
705.

Anagbogu P. N.1990. The grammar of Igbo nominalizations. Enugu: CIDJAP

press.

Haspelmath M. & Sims A. D. 2010. (2nd ed.) Understanding morphology.

1/22/2023 Uk: Hodder Education. LIN 282: MORPHOLOGY OF AFRI. 32

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