Circumfixation in Akan: A morpheme-based analysis of nominalization and pluralization

Abstract

This study examines circumfixation in Akan (Kwa), focusing on its role in nominalization and pluralization. While prefixation and suffixation in Akan have received extensive attention (Dolphyne, 2006; Bodomo & Marfo, 2005; Ofori, 2016), circumfixation remains understudied. We argue that Akan has three productive circumfixes: a- -e(ɛ) for locative nominalization, n- -ɪɪ(ɛ) for non-locative nominalization, and e/a- -fo(ɔ) for pluralization of [+human] nouns. These circumfixes undergo ATR vowel harmony and consonant assimilation, yielding predictable allomorphic variants. Applying Siegel’s (1974) Level Ordering Hypothesis, we demonstrate that the suffixal component (Class 2, category-maintaining) attaches before the prefixal component (Class 1, category-changing). This analysis provides new evidence for the reality of circumfixation in Kwa languages and contributes to the typology of discontinuous morphology.