Copyright

Anton Kungl

Published On

2024-10-17

Page Range

pp. 197–240

Language

  • English

Print Length

44 pages

Verbal Noun Formation in Mehri

  • Anton Kungl (author)
Verbal Nouns are a basic category of the nominal systems of many Semitic languages. In the case of the Modern South Arabian languages, little research has been conducted, and most previous studies do not or only very briefly mention verbal nouns. This paper attempts to partially close this gap by presenting a descriptive account of verbal noun formation in Mehri, on the basis of the data in previous glossaries, dictionaries and text collections. In addition, sporadic data from other MSAL, mainly Jibbali and Soqotri will be incorporated, and references to verbal noun formation in other Semitic languages will be given. Furthermore, the published accounts should be ideally supplemented by own fieldwork. After a basic introduction to the subject, the main part of the study concerns the most prominently attested VN patterns across various stems. While for the G-stems only broad tendencies can be postulated, it shall be shown that in the case of the derived stems, VN formation adheres to regular principles, not unknown from other Semitic languages, such as the Maṣdar forms of derived stems in Arabic. The third part of the paper will be dedicated to the discussion of remaining problems, such as the vowel quality of the suffix of the verbal nouns of many derived stems. Thus, this paper shall not just contribute to the study and description of Mehri, but also provide a stepping stone for the description of verbal nouns in other Modern South Arabian languages.

Contributors

Anton Kungl

(author)
Associate Member at Nantes Université

Anton Kungl is an associate member of LLING - UMR6310 (Nantes Université), after having completed a thesis in 2023 on the nominal morphophonology of the Modern South Arabian Languages, particularly Mehri.