Denominal Verbs in Ojibwe

Abstract

This paper argues that denominal verb formation in Ojibwe is similar to nominal incorporation: a complex nominal (containing inflectional and derivational affixes) incorporates into a verb. This process differs from denominalization in languages such as English where denominal verbs are the result of the concatenation of derivational affixes and nouns that are simple roots. This paper contributes to ongoing discussion on the composition of words in polysynthetic languages, the nature of nominal incorporation, and the relationship between morphology and syntax.[KEYWORDS: denominal verbs, nominal incorporation, Ojibwe, Algonquian]