Abstract:
This study investigates some inflectional processes in Dagbani, a Mabia language spoken
in the Northern part of Ghana. It identifies Dagbani inflections and their associate
functions, and as well explored some morpho-phonological processes observable in the
inflectional processes. The study is descriptive in nature and used qualitative approach to
analyze the data. The data sources are primary and secondary. The primary data were
collected through observation and self-generated, through native speaker’s introspection.
The secondary data were obtained from Dagbani texts including text books, articles,
theses etc. Based on the analysis, it is discovered that there are some significant prefixes
and suffixes used as inflections in Dagbani. The prefixes are n-, bu-/bʊ, and dɨba-. The
prefix n- has allomorph of -a. The nominal singular/plural suffix pairs are -a/-ba, -Ø/-di, -Ø/-a, -i/-a, -di/-a, -li/-a, -li/-ya, -gu/-a, -a/-hi, -e/-hi, -o/-hi, -u/-hi, -ga/-ri, -ɣu/-ri, -u/
ri, -a/-si, -ga/-si, -gu/-si, -o/-ti, -gu/-ti, -a/-nima, -ba/-nima, -e/-nima, -i/-nima, -u/
nima, and -Ø/-nima. These function as number markers. The adjectival singular/plural
suffix pairs are -Ø/-a, -i/-a, -o/-a, -li/-a, -li/-la, -li/-ma, -a/-hi, -e/-hi, -ga/-si, and -ɣu/-si
which equally serve as number markers. It is also revealed that The functions of the
nominal and adjectival inflectional suffix pairs mark the distiction between their sigular
and plural forms in Dagbani. Finally, the verbal suffixes are -Ø, -ya, -di/-da, -ni/-na, -ri/
ra, -ti/-ta, -mi/-ma, and -na. Whereas -ni, -ri, and -ti, are allomorphs of the morpheme
di, the morpheme -da too has variants of -na, -ra, and -ta. The suffixes -mɨ and -ma are
however observed as seperate morphemes that mark imperative when inflected on some
Dagbani main verbs. Hence, the verbal suffixes mark aspect, imperative, and direction as
well. It is found that vowel harmony, homorganic nasal assimilation, epenthesis and
elision, vowel raising and vowel reduction, vowel lengthening, consonantal alternation
are some of the phonlogical processes identified in the inflectional processes.
