ASPECTS OF COMPOUNDING IN TIV

Abstract

The present study investigates compounding in Tiv, a West-Benue-Congo language spoken mostly in Benue and Nasarawa states in North Central Nigeria and Taraba State in North Eastern Nigeria. This study, defines compounding, identified compound words as well as identified the derivational techniques/processes deployed for compounding in the Tiv language. Findings revealed that compounding in all its ramifications is richly employed in the Tiv language, in that, most of the formations could not happen without recourse to these other language levels. The analysis further confirms that all the aspects of lexical compounding obtainable in other languages such as English, Bantu, Nizaa and a host of other languages are also obtained in the Tiv language. Compounding generally has been found to be a highly productive word formation process in the Tiv language.