Compounding in Maori

Compounding in Maori

Compounding occurs in Maori to create complex nouns and verbs. This blog will discuss compounding in Maori via combining roots with other roots. Some examples of compound nouns are given below:

1)    roro_N –hiko_N

brain_N –electricity_N

“computer”

2)    wai_N –mangu_A

water_N –black_A

“ink”

3)    wero_V –pepa_N

pierce_V –paper_N

“hole punch”

The examples above (1-3) show that compounding in Maori follows the pattern head+modifier; the root on the left is the head. This headedness determines both the category and meaning of the compounded word. The examples below (4-5) further support the claim that Maori heads are on the left by showing that the head remains on the left even with compound modifiers. The left-headedness of Maori compounds is further illustrated by the tree for example (2) ‘ink’ (/waimangu/), below.

(2)

4)    puurere_N –hopu_V –reo_n

machine_N –catch_V –voice_N

“tape recorder”

5)    waka_N –rere_V –rangi_N

vehicle_N –fly_V –sky_N

“aeroplane”

The left-headedness of Maori compounds is further illustrated by the tree for example (5) “aeroplane” (/wakarererangi/), below.

(5)

Note: /rererangi/ itself is sufficient for an airplane in informal Maori, according to the Maori Dictionary. /waka/ appears to be used to specify its use as a vehicle, rather than a weapon or a force – for example with air force, which is /tauarererangi/.

Interestingly, there is another type of compounding, which involves the linking element /–aa-/. In these cases, the head remains on the left. Some examples (6-7) can be seen below:

6)    utu_N –aa –haaora_N

price_N –link –hour_N

“wages”

7)    kaupapa_N –aa –rua_N

base_N –link –two_N

“binary”

The linking element /–aa-/ is not used in all compound nouns, but is used in all compound verbs. The element does not appear to be phonological, but rather to be completely arbitrary, and, furthermore, doesn’t appear to contribute to the meaning of the compound verb. Though, it should be noted that the compound becomes ungrammatical without the element, for example, if “wages” were to be compounded without the /–aa-/ element, it would no longer make sense (Bauer 1993). See example (8) below:

8)    *utu_N – haaora_N

price_N –hour_N

*”wages”

An example of a compound verb is given below:

9)    paanui_V –aa –waha_N

Inform_V –link –mouth_N

“To dictate”

The /-aa-/ element may simply be present to link two roots that are not naturally beside each other, in the language. It is used in a similar way to how hyphens are used in English.

(9)

In the tree above for example (9) shows that ternary branching must be used as there is no clear evidence of the /-aa-/ element combining with any prior roots, but ternary branching is not possible in morphology, so the element must not be morphologically meaningful.

Sources:

Bauer, W. (2003). Maori. Routledge.