Words Built From an Action and a Noun

Level 3

Sọ + ọ̀rọ̀ underlies sọ̀rọ̀ ‘speak’. A nominal prefix with pa + ẹja gives apẹja ‘fisher’ or ìpẹja ‘fishing’.

How It Works

A verb and its noun object can form an established complex verb. Sọ̀rọ̀ ‘speak’ incorporates sọ ọ̀rọ̀ ‘say words’. Joining the material can remove a vowel and produce an established tone pattern. Some complex verbs allow their components to occur separately; others cannot be split into proposed components with the same meaning.

For nouns built from verb-object material, identify the nominal morphology as well. The base pa ẹja ‘kill fish’ appears with prefixes in apẹja ‘fisher’ and ìpẹja ‘fishing’. One names a participant and the other an activity. Compare Bísí sọ̀rọ̀ ‘Bísí spoke’ with the noun phrase apẹja náà ‘the fisher’. Neither construction adds person or gender agreement endings. Learn the supported contraction, category and lexical meaning together. A compound verb is not automatically a noun, and merely joining any verb and noun does not establish a conventional word.

Examples (3)

  1. Bísí fẹ́ sọ̀rọ̀.

    Bísí wants to speak.

    Sọ̀rọ̀ functions as a complex verb.

  2. Apẹja náà ní ọkọ̀.

    The fisher has a vehicle.

    Apẹja contains a nominal prefix and verb-object material. The sentence does not specify the type of vehicle.

  3. Ìpẹja ṣe pàtàkì.

    Fishing is important.

    Ìpẹja names the activity and functions as the subject.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Words Built From an Action and a NounLevel 3

Learn This First

Identify the action and noun base, then establish the whole word’s grammatical role.