Naming Someone by an Activity
Paná ‘extinguish fire’ contrasts with panápaná ‘firefighter’.
How It Works
Agentive reduplication copies an established complex verb or verb-object base in full. The relevant bases contain at least two moras, units of syllable weight. Both segments and tones are copied: paná → panápaná and gbálẹ̀ → gbálẹ̀gbálẹ̀. Here gb remains one consonant onset.
The result identifies a characteristic performer, often someone with an occupation. Compare paná ‘extinguish fire’, an action expression, with panápaná ‘firefighter’, a person noun. Having a sufficiently long base does not guarantee an accepted agent noun: lexical attestation matters. Doubling an arbitrary one-mora verb does not establish a noun in this class.
This formation differs from the initial-consonant-plus-í pattern used for activity gerunds. The derived noun has no gender ending or number agreement suffix. A plural group can be expressed separately with àwọn, as the examples show.
Examples (3)
- Panápaná náà ti dé.
The firefighter has arrived.
The full-copy person noun is the subject.
- Mo rí gbálẹ̀gbálẹ̀ kan.
I saw a floor sweeper.
Each copy preserves the segments and tones of gbálẹ̀.
- Àwọn woléwolé wà níta.
The house inspectors are outside.
Àwọn marks the plural group separately.
Related Patterns
- Naming an Activity
Distinguishes an activity noun from a performer noun.
Level 3 - Words Built From an Action and a Noun
Explains complex action material underlying many agentive bases.
Level 3 - Plural àwọnTalking About Several Things
Marks groups without altering the derived noun.
Level 1 - Noun Family With oní-A Person Associated with Something
Introduces another formation naming people by occupation or association.
Level 3
Practice Naming Someone by an Activity in Bubblegum
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