The Dynamics of the Verbal Stem in Herero

Abstract

The paper aims at analysing changes in the verbal stem in the Herero language from different linguistic viewpoints in order to properly explain the sophisticated nature of verbal behaviour. The presented morphophonemic phenomena concern (1) internal mutation, esp. total assimilation understood as vowel harmony, (2) external initial mutation, esp. (a) deverbative formations based on lenition, (b) mutation caused e.g. by the reflexive marker on preceding morphemes, and (3) external suffixal mutation, esp. verbal extension based on different subsystems such as e.g. partial consonant harmony.