Construction Morphology Analysis of Compound Verbs in Igbo Language

Abstract

This research analyses compound verbs in Igbo, using construction morphology theory. It seeks to identify compound verbs, analyse them using schemata structures, ascertain the structures and behaviours of tones, and examine some inflected forms of compound verbs in Igbo language. The study adopts a descriptive method of data analysis to examine data collected through oral interviews, introspections (which are confirmed by two native speakers) and those obtained from journals and textbooks. The research discovers that some compound verbs do not obey the vowel harmony rule, and through the aid of the schema, it is observed that some transformational processes have occurred before a surface compound verb is formed. According to the findings, tones also play a distinctive role in Igbo compound verbs. The research recommends further research in this area, to account for other aspects of compound verbs in Igbo that the current study could not cover.