| dc.description.abstract | : The hallmark of nominal morphology in Bantu languages is based on the rich
noun class system in which nouns in these languages are classified. Noun roots, in Bantu
languages, are placed into noun classes according to the prefixes they take and their meanings.
In Proto-Bantu and most present day Bantu languages prefixes with a locative meaning have
been analysed as noun class prefixes, and noun roots occurring with them placed into locative
noun classes. Prefixes with a locative meaning in Kisa, a Bantu language spoken in Western
Kenya, have also been previously analysed as noun class prefixes leading to locative noun
classes in this language. Synchronically, however, prefixes with a locative meaning in Kisa
should be analysed in a different way. Using a descriptive design and basing on data generated
by the author as a native speaker of Kisa, this paper provides evidence from head class marking
and agreement marking and shows that prefixes with a locative meaning in Kisa attach to noun
stems belonging to a specific noun class. This gives rise to locative constructions that function
as locative heads. In this way, prefixes with a locative meaning in Kisa are better analysed as
locative prefixes and not as noun class prefixes. This implies that, synchronically, Kisa does
not have locative noun classes. | en_US |
