The –ag- TAM marker and the boundary between cliticization and affixation in Bantu

The documents available on this module reflect a substantial part of the work of Prof. Josephat Rugemalira as a linguist within the university setting. The intention is to provide access to those materials produced under the auspices of the Languages of Tanzania Project which are now largely out of print and have never been made available online. It is my hope that, with time, the University of Dar es Salaam will be able to make the large amount of material produced from that project available to the wider public via the internet.

Nyaraka zinazopatikana hapa zinawakilisha sehemu muhimu ya kazi ya Prof. Josephat Rugemalira kama mwanaisimu katika mazingira ya chuo kikuu. Nia ya kuziweka hapa ni kuwawezesha watu mbalimbali kupata nyaraka hizi ambazo zilitokana na kazi za Mradi wa Lugha za Tanzania na ambazo kwa kiasi kikubwa hazichapishwi tena, na hazijawahi kupatikana katika intaneti. Ni matumaini yangu kwamba, hatimaye, Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam kitaweza kuziweka kwenye intaneti nyaraka nyingine nyingi zilizotokana na mradi ule, kwa manufaa ya umma.

Rather the forms and status of the formative are themselves shown to be in a state of flux with at least three possibilities of shape, viz. -ag-, -aga, and –ga. In the same vein it is argued that what may have originally been an affix shows clear signs of steady movement towards becoming a clitic in several languages. While the affix and clitic statuses coexist in current languages it is not certain that development will necessarily be in the direction of favoring one status over the other.

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