Ekegusii Subject and Object Markers: Affixes or Clitics?

Abstract

Bantu languages are known for their agglutinative nature and complex verbal morphology. A single verbal complex has several affixes including the subject markers (SMs) and object markers (OMs). The precise status of the SMs and OMs in Bantu remains unresolved. These markers have been analysed as agreement markers in some languages while in others, they are analysed as incorporated pronominals and in other languages as clitics. The objective of this paper is to determine whether these markers should be analysed as agreement markers, incorporated pronominals or clitics in EkeGusii. Findings reveal that the SM is an agreement marker when the overt lexical subject Determiner Phrase (DP) co-occurs with the SM and an incorporated pronoun in null subject constructions. Accordingly, the paper posits that the SM is both an agreeement marker and an incorporated pronominal in EkeGusii. The OM is an incorporated pronominal because the doubling of the OM and the corresponding lexical DP is not licensed in EkeGusii. In analysing the status of SMs and OMs, the morphological and syntactic evidence provided shows that these markers are more of affixes than clitics in this language.