A Morphological Analysis of Micro-variations on Verbal Extensions in ciLungu, ciMambwe and ciNamwanga Languages

Guthrie (1948) classifies ciLungu as M14, ciMambwe as M15 and ciNamwanga as M22. The study was undertaken to enrich the available scanty grammar by establishing and analysing the morphological micro-variations on verbal extensions and the accompanying vowel harmony. The descriptive framing informed the study. Qualitative design, descriptive approach, comparative, elicitation and document analysis methods were used. The study shows that micro-variations in the three languages exist in applicative, causative, reversive, stative, intensive, reciprocative, frequentative and perfective extensions. For instance, ciLungu and ciMambwe attach the semi-vowel [w] before the suffix marker [-ela] or [-ila] which is not applicable in ciNamwanga when forming applicative verbs. In addition, ciLungu uses the voiceless fricative glottal [h] in the suffix of long causatives and intensive extensions while ciMambwe and ciNamwanga use [i] which is realised as [y]. On the other hand, the study reveals that the reduplicative, passive and reflexive extensions have similar principles.