1 Introduction

This chapter introduces the topic of morphology and its two main branches, derivational morphology and inflectional morphology. It also discusses the various methods of word formation in Kiswahili, with a focus on the compounding method and the characteristics of compound nouns. The chapter also explains the different forms of compound nouns in Kiswahili and their stress patterns, emphasizing their compound nature and unit idea conveyed.

2 The Motivation of the Study

This chapter introduces the Brackets Erasure Rule (BER) and its convention, which governs the process of word formation and deletion of brackets. It also discusses how compound nouns in Kiswahili violate or do not violate the BER when taking plural affixes, and presents the research question. The study aims to provide insights into the reasons behind this violation and its implications for lexicographers in understanding Kiswahili compound noun formation.

3 Literature Review

This chapter discusses the literature review related to Kiswahili compound nouns and the reasons for violating or not violating the Bracket Erasure Rule (BER). The studies provide insights into the formation of compound nouns, the processes involved, and how different word constituents interact to form acceptable words. The research helps to understand the reasons for some compound nouns violating the BER, especially when taking plural affixes in the second morph, and the internal morphology of the word. The review also highlights the need to investigate the reasons behind violating and not violating the BER in Kiswahili compound nouns.

4 The Bracket Erasure Rule

This chapter discusses the Bracket Erasure Rule within the theory of lexical morphology, which shows the relationship between morphological structures and their pronunciation. The rule illustrates the process of building a complete word by using its components and emphasizes that once the word is created, the brackets are deleted. The research identifies Kiswahili compound nouns that violate the Bracket Erasure Rule, especially in the plural form, and analyzes the data to distinguish between those that allow changes in the middle of the word and those that do not.

5 The Research Methodology

This chapter describes the qualitative approach used in the research, which involves descriptive and analytical methods. Data is collected from the Kamusi Kuu ya Kiswahili (2015) and 30 compound nouns that violate the Bracket Erasure Rule are identified. Plural forms of these nouns are generated and evaluated by Swahili speakers, who deem them ungrammatical. 300 compound nouns that do not violate the BER are also identified, from which 30 are selected for the study. The research applies text analysis in four stages: identification, description, analysis, and discussion, to examine the violation and non-violation of BER in Kiswahili compound nouns.

6 The Research Findings

This chapter discusses the reasons why some Kiswahili compound nouns violate the Bracket Erasure Rule (BER) and identifies the reasons that cause the change to occur. It goes into detail about the visibility of the second morph of the compound noun by the first morph, and how grammatical concordance, numerical agreement, and tension play a role in these violations. The researchers also explain the reasons for the non-violation of BER, such as the presence of zero morphs and grammatical forms without adding the plural affix in the second morph. Overall, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of the reasons for violations and non-violations of the Bracket Erasure Rule in Kiswahili compound nouns.

7 Conclusion

This chapter discusses the reasons why some Kiswahili compound nouns violate the Bracket Erasure Rule, such as visibility of the second morph and contextual use. Reasons for violation include grammatical concordance, numerical dissonance, and tension arising from different affixes. Additionally, the context of use also plays a role in whether a compound noun violates BER. On the other hand, compound nouns that do not violate BER may have the second morph bearing a zero morph or the morphological formation of the compound noun not adding the plural affix in the second morph.