Nominalization in Marathi

Nominalization in Marathi
Chinmay Dharurkar

Definition and scope of the term:
Nominalization proper means "turning something into a noun"(Comrie & Thompson 1985) and refers to the corresponding processes
or operations and to their results.
Nominalisation covers a broad range of transposiational phenomena, where transposition in turn refers to word-class-changing operations
(Haspelmath, 2002)
Often applied without clear criteria and definitions the term [nominalisation] is grossly misused.
A clear definition of nominalisation and any serious attempts to approach them cross-linguistically should take into account at the least the following parameters:
1. What expression types are turned into a noun?
2. What are the meanings of the resulting expressions?
3. In what sense is the resulting expression noun?
4. Is the process derivational or inflectional?
5. Do the resulting expressions show mixed properties?
6. What are the functions of the resulting expressions?
With this much in the mind we will proceed to see how much productive is Nominalization in Marathi.

1.Verbal nouns: These are the nominalised forms of the verbs that are (under the influence of Sanskrit grammatical tradition) called krudanta nouns. Krudanta nouns in Sanskrit are formed as gam (to go)-gamana (going), bhASh (to speak)-bhAShaNa (speaking or speech) etc. These are also referred as ANs or action nouns.
This type of nominalization is very productive and the meaning of the resulting noun is predictable i.e. the act of V or way or manner of performing the action. Some examples of the type are as follows:
Verb Noun
1) zaa zaaNa
(to go) (going)

2) Ye yeNa
(to come) (coming)

3) zhop zhopNa
(to sleep) (sleeping)

4) vichaar vichaarNa
(to ask) (asking)

5) c^aav c^aavNa
(to bite) (biting)

Used in sentences:

1a)to gelaa he malaa paTla^ naahii.
He go-past this I-dat like-past neg.
I didn’t like that he went.
1b) tyaac^a zaaNa malaa paTla naahii
His going to me liked not
I did not like his going.

2a)to saarkhac^ hasto he c^aangla^ naahii.
He always laughs this good not is.
2b)Tyaac^a saarkha hasaNa^ c^aangla naahii.
His ever laughing good not is.
His laughing always is not good.

Each and every verb can undergo this kind of nominalization. One interesting point to note about these nouns is that these normally cant come in the main clause but nowadays there is tendency in languages like
Marathi, Hindi etc that these forms can be used in main clause position in back grounded portions of discourse. E.g. setting the scene or subsidiary information.

2. Agentive nouns: These are productive but are actually the future participle of the verbs. Or might be a co-incidence that the active future participle forms
And the agentive forms have the same phonological shape.
Some examples:
Zaa - zaaNaaraa
(to go) – goer

Ye - yeNaaraa
(to come) (comer)

Zhop- zhopNaaraa
(to sleep) (sleeper/one who sleeps)

Vichaar- vichaarNaaraa
(to ask) asker

C^aav- c^aavNaaraa
To bite biter

Such nominalisation is also highly productive.


3.Objective nouns: These are actually the passive forms of the above participles but are used as nouns. So also the process is equally productive except for the intransitive verbs.
Examples:
Vichaar- vichaarlaa zaaNaaraa
(to ask) (the one being asked)

Maar maarlaa zaaNaaraa
(to hit)- ( the one being hit)


4. Adjective to nouns:This is again a very productive one. All adjectives can be nominalised using this nominal suffix – paNaa. The meaning of the resultant expression is the property of or quality of being that.
Examples:
veDaa veDepaNaa
(mad) (madness)

aaLshii aaLshiipaNaa
(lazy) (laziness)

shahaaNaa shahaaNpaNaa
(wise) (wisedom)

Muurkha muurkhapaNaa
(foolish) (foolishness)

Naazuk naazukpaNaa
(tender) (tenderness)

Bahiraa bahirepaNaa
(deaf) (deafness)

Sopaa sopepaNaa
(easy) (easiness)

khoTaa koTepaNaa
(false) (falseness)

Lahaan lahaanpaNaa
(small) (smallness)

GoD goDpaNaa
(sweet) (sweetness)

And so on the process is productive. For Sanskrit loan words paNaa is also replaceable by the suffixes twa and taa.
Other nominalising suffixes are vaa (not much productive) found in:
goD goDvaa
(sweet) (sweetness)

Gaar gaarvaa
(cold) (coldness)

ii in :
Laayak laaykii
(eligible) (eligibility)

Laal laalii
(red) (redness)

goD goDii
(sweet) (sweetness) But not in other taste-words.


5. Nouns to nouns:

Common nouns are changed in abstract nouns by adding the suffix paN.
Not much productive. If we stretch it to all common nouns the resultant expression are possible but not found in the language and can be employed in philosophical debate in Nyaya system of Indian philosophy while discussing about jaati or category.
Examples:
maaNus - maaNuspaN
(man) (humanity)

Dev devpaN
(god) (godliness)

Replaceable by twa for Sanskrit loan words.

Also the suffix –ii acts nominalises a noun:
Maalak - maalkii
(owner) (ownership)

Gulaam - gulaamii
(slave) (slavery)

Naukar - naukrii
(servant) (service)

Praadhyaapak praadhyaapakii
(professor) (professorship)


Gaayak - gaaykii
(singer) (singing or type of singing)

ki in:

maastar - maastarkii
(master) (profession of Master)

paaTil - PaaTilkii
( a title for who owns or controls a village.)

References:

1) Brown K, (2006) Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics, Elsever, London.

2) Chomsky, Noam. 1970. "Remarks on Nominalization." In: R. Jacobs and P. Rosenbaum (eds.), Readings in English Transformational Grammar, Ginn, Waltham, MA, 184-221.

3) Mathews, P.H (2003) Dictionary of Linguistics, OUP, London