LL-L "Morphology" 2004.03.03 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 03.MAR.2004 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Morphology

Dear Lowlanders,

OK, so I'm responding to my own request ...  ;-)

> Both in Mennonite Lowlands Saxon (Plautdietsch) and in Afrikaans
>  it looks as though the infinitive suffix /-(@)n/ has been incorporated
> into the roots of the verbs for 'to go', 'to stand' and 'to do'.

I believe the verb "to see" falls into this category also:

(< > = conventional German-based orthographic representation)

Northern Lowlands Saxon (Low German):
Root:  /zey-/
Infinitive:  sey(e)n (<sehn>)
1st sg.:  ik sey (<ik seh>)
1st pl.:  wy seyt ~ sey(e)n (<wi seht ~ sehn>)
Imperative: sey!

Standard Dutch:
Root:  /zii-/
Infinitive:  zien
1st sg.:  ik zie
1st pl.:  wij zien
Imperative: zie!

Standard Afrikaans (which has -0 suffixes throughout):
Root:  /sii-/
Infinitive:  sien
1st sg.: ek sien
1st pl.:  wy sien
Imperative: sien!

Mennonite Lowlands Saxon (Plautdietsch):
Root:  /zeyn-/
Infinitive:  seyne(n) (<seene(n)> ~ <sehne(n)>)
1st sg.:  ek sey (<ekj/etj see> ~ <ekj/etj seh>)
1st pl.:  wy seyne (<wie seene> ~ <wie sehne>)
Inperative: sey! (<see!>)

Note that Plautdietsch seems inconsistent in the cases of _doune(n)_ ('to
do') and _seyne(n)_ ('to see').

This is what I suspect is going on here:

Basically, Afrikaans and Plautdietsch do not permit, or do not "like," a
verb root to end with a (long?) vowel or a diphthong.  To overcome this
"deficiency" in a few roots, they insert or incorporate an /-n-/, which may
or may not be "inspired" by infinitive /-n/.

In Plautdietsch, the seeming inconsistency in _doune(n)_ ('to do') and
_seyne(n)_ ('to see') -- /-n-/ in the infinitive and the plural forms but
not in the 1st person singular  and in the imperative forms -- could be
explained in the following way.  Plautdietsch does not permit
verb-root-final vowels or diphthongs only if the root takes on a suffix that
begins with a vowel.  This would explain permissible _ek ga_ (since this has
a zero suffix) versus non-permissible *_wy gae(n)_ (*<wie goe(n)>), correct
_wy gane(n)_ (<wie gone(n)>).

While in the case of Plautdietsch there seem to be indications that the
/-n-/ is truly epenthetic (i.e., conditionally inserted to solve an
occasional morphophonological problem), Afrikaans seems to have actually
incorporated the /-n-/ on the morphemic level (since there are no instances
without it).

Any alternative analyses, anyone?

Regards<
Reinhard/Ron

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