<div dir="ltr">Hi - There are several Bantu "Zone A" languages in Cameroon that do exactly this, the best known being Basaá. Here is an example from the attached article. As you can see, there is what Africanists call an "associative" or "connective" morpheme, which is also used in genitives (possessives) and elsewhere. Hope useful. Best, Larry<div><br></div><div><img src="cid:ii_megc9q5n1" alt="image.png" width="562" height="58"><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sun, Aug 17, 2025 at 4:08 PM George Lindsay via Lingtyp <<a href="mailto:lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org">lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg3673296519245663400">




<div dir="ltr">
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Dear linguists,</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
I am writing to ask if anyone is aware of, and could point me in the direction of, languages where adjectival modifiers have their own fixed noun class assignment that overrides the noun class of the head on agreement targets.</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
I am currently aware of one language that exhibits this phenomenon, Kafire (Senufo), and have provided some examples below from Nikitina and Silué (2023:122-123) to exemplify the type of phenomenon I am talking about. Note that when the head
<i>pɔ̰̄ </i>'dog' is modified by an adjective, the targets for noun class agreement (the demonstrative pronoun and definite clitic) do not agree with the noun class of
<i>pɔ̰̄ </i>'dog' (CL1), but with the noun class specification that is inherent to the modifying adjectives (i.e. CL2 for
<i>gbóló </i>'big' in (b) and CL3 for <i>bī </i>'little' in (c)).</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Grateful to know if this agreement phenomenon has been attested elsewhere.</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Kind regards,</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
George Lindsay</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<b><i>Examples</i></b></div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Kafire:</div>
<table style="direction:ltr;width:278.666px;box-sizing:border-box;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0px" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="m_3673296519245663400table_0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:46.7656px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
a.</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:53.2552px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
wè</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:241.307px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
pɔ̰̄=w</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:46.7656px;height:7.53pt;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
 </div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:53.2552px;height:7px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
this.CL1</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:241.307px;height:7px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
dog=CL1.DEF</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:46.7656px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
 </div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:53.2552px;box-sizing:border-box" colspan="2">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
‘this dog’</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<table style="direction:ltr;width:314.667px;box-sizing:border-box;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0px" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:37.6875px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
b.</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:71.3281px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
jè</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:48.6198px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
pɔ̰̄</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:194.365px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
gbóló=j</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:37.6875px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
 </div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:71.3281px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
this.CL2</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:48.6198px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
dog</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:194.365px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
big=<a href="http://CL2.DEF.PL" target="_blank">CL2.DEF.PL</a></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:37.6875px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
 </div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:71.3281px;box-sizing:border-box" colspan="3">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
‘these big dogs’</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<table style="direction:ltr;width:278.667px;box-sizing:border-box;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0px" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:33.0781px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
c.</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:67.3281px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
lè</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:39.9219px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
pɔ̰̄</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:134.328px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
bī=l</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:33.0781px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
 </div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:67.3281px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
this.CL3</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:39.9219px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
dog</div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:134.328px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
little=CL3.DEF</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:33.0781px;height:22px;box-sizing:border-box">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
 </div>
</td>
<td style="direction:ltr;padding-top:1px;padding-right:5.4pt;padding-left:5.4pt;vertical-align:top;color:rgb(0,0,0);width:67.3281px;height:22px;box-sizing:border-box" colspan="3">
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left;line-height:115%;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0in;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
‘these little dogs’</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<b><br>
</b></div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<b><i>References</i></b></div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Nikitina, Tatiana, and Songfolo Lacina Silué. 2023. “Noun Class Agreement in Kafire (Senufo): A Lexical-Functional Grammar Account.”
<i>Journal of Linguistics </i>59(1):121–48.</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;line-height:1.2;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
</div>

_______________________________________________<br>
Lingtyp mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">Lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br>
<a href="https://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp</a><br>
</div></blockquote></div><div><br clear="all"></div><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Larry M. Hyman, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School</div><div>& Director, France-Berkeley Fund, University of California, Berkeley</div><div><a href="https://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~hyman" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">https://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~hyman</a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>