Mataguayan

Abstract

This chapter addresses the derivational processes employed by the Mataguayan languages to form words. In particular, it focuses on nominal and verbal suffixation, this being the most productive and diffused word-formation process within the family. The Mataguayan languages are Chorote, Maka, Nivacle and Wichi, spoken in the Gran Chaco region of South America. Mataguayan nouns and verbs are the word classes likely to be derived and the variety of derivational processes is greater in nouns than verbs. Nominal derivations include AGENT, PATIENT, ACTION, INSTRUMENT, LOCATIVE, EVALUATIVE, and VEGETABLE CLASS, while verbs can be formed by VERBALIZER, CAUSATIVE, and APPLICATIVE. This chapter presents an in-depth formal and semantic analysis of these processes and it also examines multiple derivational suffixation in verbal and nominal bases allowed in these languages. It provides the first overview of derivational suffixation of the family, thus contributing to the knowledge of the Mataguayan languages and word-formation.