A CASE STUDY ON THE MORPHO-PHONOLOGICAL STATUS OF SERBIAN ADJECTIVAL DERIVATIONAL SUFFIXES WITH INITIAL J

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the status of Serbian adjectival derivational suffixes with initial j in comparison to their variants with initial lj, nj, and also without an initial consonant. Azbučnik prideva u srpskoj prozi dvadesetog veka by Miroslav Josić Višnjić was used as a corpus. The most favourable possible scenario for adjectival derivational suffixes ‑jan, -j(a)n, ‑jav, ‑jast, ‑ji, ‑jiv, ‑jal(a)n, ‑jar(a)n, -jat, -jev, ‑jevit, -jikav, -jin, ‑jit, ‑juškast and their distribution were analysed regarding the phonological characteristics of the final consonant of a derivational base they are combined with. These derivational suffixes with initial j in Serbian are the most stable with n and l at the end of a base (n + j from a derivational suffix > the phoneme nj, l + j from a derivational suffix > the phoneme lj), but they are rarely visible on the surface structure of adjectives (cf. pasji). In word formation analyses, adjectives with derivational bases with final nj, lj and other palatal and palatalised consonants can be morpho-phonologically explained with derivational suffixes with an initial j, but some of them also with initial nj, lj or without initial consonant.