Clausal nominalization in Wolof

Abstract

Wolof uses various strategies to express clausal nominalization i.e. genitive nominalization (GN), relative clause nominalization (RC nominalization) and headless relative clause nominalization. This dissertation provides a description of these nominalization processes with a special focus on GNs and RC nominalizations. RC nominalization is a very productive nominalization process in the language and can occur with almost all types of verbs. In addition, a verb can undergo RC nominalization even when it has different derivational suffixes attached to it. As for GN, it is an argument-reducing nominalization strategy and is less productive as there are various restrictions about the type of verbs it can be built from. The RC nominal can have an event, factive and manner interpretation whereas the GN nominal can have a generic, event and factive interpretation. This dissertation also provides a comparison of this type of nominalization with similar nominalization types found in related African languages like Ewe, Fon, Gungbe, Krio and Yoruba. Finally, this dissertation also shows how Wolof nominalization types fits within the typology of nominalization.