Agglutination and fusion

• Agglutination
• Agglutination in inflection
• Agglutination in derivation

• Fusion
• Fusion in inflection
• Fusion in derivation
The main type of inflection and derivation in Georgian is considered to be agglutination
More information about agglutination
More information about fusion
Agglutination and fusion
The most common structural type both of inflection (form change of a word) and derivation (produce of the new words) in Georgian is agglutination: each unit of meaning has its separate marker in the word. Fusion also occurs: more than one function are expressed by one marker.

Agglutination

Agglutination in inflection
 

xel-i	xel-eb-i
xel-i	xel-eb-i
hand-Nominative	hand-Plural-Nominative
handâ Nominative	handsâ Nominative


Agglutination in derivation

 

xel-i	sa-xel-o
xel-i	sa-xel-o
hand (//arm  and hand)-Nominative	for-arm-stem producing suffix
Îhandâ	Îsleeveâ

Agglutination is considered to be a main type of form changing in Georgian.

More information about agglutination

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Fusion

Fusion as a morphological type is characterized by the fact that one and the same marker expresses several functions at the same time.
Fusion in inflection

 

wer-s	wer-en
c'er-s	c'er-en
write-3 pers+Singular	write-3 pers+Plural
ÎHe / she writes, is writingâ	ÎThey write, they are writingâ.

Compare other forms, where person and number are expressed by different markers:
 

v-wer	v-wer-T
v-c'er	v-c'er-t
1 pers-write	1 pers-write-Plural
ÎI write, I am writingâ	ÎWe write, we are writingâ.

However, even this form  vwer  vc'er expresses not only those categories which have their own markers in the verb (person and number) but also other categories which are expressed by the whole construction of this verb, for instance, present tense (in opposition to other forms of the same verb, e.g.  v-wer-d-i v-c'er-d-i  ÎI was writingâ).

The term fusion involves ablaut as well. This is a phenomenon when the different grammatical meanings of forms are expressed by different vocalisations of a stem, by vowel alternation.

One example of ablaut is found in verbs with different stems (themes) in different sets of  tense/aspect-forms. In  one group of verbs this difference is based on agglutination (a special suffix for the forms of the first set), in another group on the principle of fusion: the inner vowel of the stem is -e -e in one and -i -i in another set of tense/aspect-forms:

 

v-drek	v-drik-e
v-drek'	v-drik'e
1 pers-bend	1 pers-bend-Aor
ÎI am bending somethingâ	ÎI have been bending smth. I bent smth.â

More information about fusion

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Fusion in derivation
a) one and the same root with different vocalisation may form both verbs and nouns:

 

lew-s	law-an-i
lec'-s	lac'-an-i
trash-Subj+3pers+Sing	crash-Nominalising.suffix-Nominative
He/she trashes	crash

In its turn, the opposition of the suffixes -an -an and  -un -un may differentiate momentary and reiterated action:
 

law-an-i	law-un-i
lac'-an-i	lac'-un-i
crash-once-Nominative	crash-several times-Nominative


The main type of inflection and derivation in Georgian is considered to be agglutination

The co-existence of agglutination and fusion principles in Georgian morphology has been the basis of different hypotheses about  Georgian as belonging to the Caucasian language family, but marked with the influence of Indo-European languages  (Ivane Javakhishvili, Arnold Chikobava).  Typological parallels betwen Kartvelian and Indo-European languages are also found (Tamaz Gamkrelidze, Givi Matchavariani). These parallels are often explained as a result of influence.  The co-existence of agglutination and fusion may also be explained by the inner nature of Georgian (Besarion Jorbenadze).

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© Manana Kock Kobaidze & Karina Vamling