Nominalisation

(a) prefixation of a nominal prefix (singular or plural) to the verb stem.

(b) suffixation of an agentive or abstract suffix to the verb stem;

(c) verb stem reduplication;

(d) inversion of word order in the verb phrase: the complement precedes the verb instead of following it;

(e) tonal changes; 

(f) application of vowel harmony rules: from right to left if the final suffix is agentive -nä, from left to right if the final suffix is vocalic.

(Prefixes: compare with Akan noun classes in Unit 4). 

1. Nouns derived from simple verbs with the help of nominalising affixes (abstract derivatives in broken lines):
 

Comments on Table 1

• Agentive prefix:

• Agentive suffix:

Agentive nouns that spell out character traits or identifying features or specify professions often have the singular suffix -nä and the plural suffix -foáõ. -nä is derived from onii 'person'; e.g., obibinä is a person whose skin is black, i.e. an African.
 

(ii) Abstract nouns always take a prefix, but take a suffix only under certain conditions.

• Abstract noun prefix:

• Abstract noun suffix:

2. Nouns formed from reduplicated verbs:
 

3. Nouns derived from verb phrases

Prefixes and suffixes are used in the same way as with nominalisations derived from simple verbs.

Inversion takes place between the verb and its complement: the latter precedes the former.

Tones: there is a tendency for all lexical constituents involved in the process to loose their inherent lexical tones except the last syllable which is High.

Unfortunately, this characteristic pattern does not always apply. Therefore we still have to learn when it does apply, and in which cases the inherent tones are maintained. In the examples below, it applies consistently to agentive nouns. As to abstract nouns, the tone loss applies to 'learning' and 'thanking' but not to 'journey' and 'trading'.
 

• Inverted noun morphology:

Inverted nouns loose their suffixes: -e, -ñ, -o or -õ (cf. adeáñ). But the nominalised expression as a whole will be suffixed (e, ñ, o, õ), if the stem ends in an open syllable i, e [ò], u, o [ö], cf. akwaántu-o, adwaádä-e - as stated above for action verbs derived from simple verbs.

(ii) Agentive nouns: the rules of affixation are exactly those spelled out above for agentives derived from simple stems. Both prefix and suffix are obligatory. In the singular, the õ- prefix is used, in the plural form the a- prefix and sometimes N- (m, n), depending on the verb stem. The suffix -foáõ is added to either singular or plural. Agentive nouns that spell out character or identifying traits or specify professions often have the singular suffix -nä and the plural suffix -foáõ.
 

4. Nouns derived from so-called phrasal verbs: 

Phrasal verbs owe their specific meaning to the lexically fixed combination of a core verb and a postposition. Postpositions typically express spatial relationships: 

Additional learning material: The English prepositions: 'under', 'on', 'behind', 'in front of', 'in(side)' are postpositions in Akan. These, again, are in fact nouns: aseá [aàsòá] 'under'; ñsoá [ñàsöá] 'on'; anäm [ðànäm] 'in front of'; akyä [ðàkyä] 'behind'; emuá 'in, inside'. 

Their ñ-/e- resp. õ-/o- prefixes are dropped when they function as postpositions: 

- akonnwaá soá "on a chair"

- daán noá muá "in the house/room", etc.

Complements of phrasal verbs are placed between the core verb and the postposition.
 

Nouns derived from phrasal verbs retain the inherent order of the latter: contrary to other complements the postposition follows the verb in the nominalised form. 

Phrasal verb derivates may only take the prefix N-. Suffixes are added, as usual (see above), provided the final vowel is either i, e [ò], u, or o [ö] , cf. nkõso-õá. It is mostly abstract nouns that are formed like this, but where it is semantically possible, agentive nouns can be formed as well.
 
 

Word-formation is continued in:
-> Derivation (Notes on grammar 2),
-> Compounds (Notes on grammar 3)