Agentive Suffixes

When you first started learning Bambara, you likely learned the words for a few occupations that all included -la at the end: sɛnɛkɛla ('farmer'), dɔnkilidala ('singer'), etc.

Now it is time to unpack how these words and other similar ones—often called agent nouns—are formed via suffixes such as -la.

A suffix? That's a term that linguists use to refer to an element that is not quite a word (because it can't stand on its own), which attaches to the end of other words.

Specifically, we're going to cover nine agentive suffixes:

• -la/na
• -baga
• -tɔ
• bagatɔ
• -ɲɔgɔn
• -nci
• -ma
• -ka
• -tigi

Habitual agents with -la

Let's start by looking at the suffix -la/na, which you already know implicitly from your studies.

Like "-er"

In many ways, -la is very similar to the suffix "-er" in English.

We can see this by taking a closer look at sɛnɛkɛla and marking its three distinct parts with the help of some dashes:

sɛnɛ-kɛ-la farm-do-er

'farmer'

In more technical terms, -la is an agentive suffix that has the abstract meaning of something like 'someone who does something habitually'. Because of this, linguists sometimes refer to it as the "permanent agent suffix".

But don't read too much into that since it doesn't mean that the person is endlessly doing the thing in question.

And, as you know from the names of other occupations that you learned early on, it can be productively used to create many other words. For instance:

dɔnkilidala

dɔnkili-da-la song-lay.down-er

'singer'

But different

While -la is like "-er" in English, it doesn't behave in the exact same way.

For instance, as you may have noticed in the previous examples, -la generally attaches to a noun and verb combination (i.e., NOUN-VERB-la):

mobilibolila

mobili-boli-la car-drive-er

'driver'

You normally do not attach -la to a verb all by itself:

bolila

'driver'

This means that one generally must specify the noun upon which the person acts. For instance:

bonjɔsila

bon-jɔsi-la house-sweep-er

'cleaning person'

Or, if you don't want to specify the direct object, you must use a so-called light-verb construction with a noun and the verb k'à kɛ ('to do something'). For example:

folikɛla

foli-kɛ-la greeting-do-er

'greeter'

(NOTE: In some Manding varieties, it is actually possible to attach -la directly to a verb or a noun on its own [e.g., kumala 'speaker' instead of kumakɛla 'speaker'], but this is generally not the case in standard Bambara or Jula for most words.)

Possible sound change

Like with other words such as the postposition la ('in; on; at, etc'), the suffix -la can become -na when it preceded by a verb that ends in nasalization. For instance:

gafesɛbɛnna

gafe-sɛbɛn-na book-write-er

'book writer'

Productive

You can productively use the suffix -la/na to create almost any word that you would like.

Just make sure to following the pattern of NOUN + VERB + -la/na.

For instance:

mɔnnikɛla

mɔnni-kɛ-la
fishing-do-er

'fisherman'

Or:

gesedala

gese-da-la
thread-lay-er

'weaver'

Can you think of some of your own to make?

Intro to other agentive suffixes

Now that you master the idea of an agentive suffix, let's look at a few others.

They are not all equally productive. That is, some of them are not widely used to create new words on the fly.

In fact, you might rarely use or hear them used in words at all. Nonetheless, it is worth learning all of them. That way, you won't be tripped up when do you hear them!

The make it easier to dive into them, I have broken them up into four over-arching categories:

• Agents with -baga and/or -tɔ
• Excessive agents that include -nci
• Suffixes of reciprocity
• Suffixes you already know (because you have already seem them)

There's nothing scientific about the groupings—if you think of another way to remember them, then go ahead and use that!

Agents with -baga and/or -tɔ

Occasional agent: -baga

The suffix -baga (which can also take the form -baa in writing and pronunciation) is generally used for occasional agents.

It can attach directly to verbs.

For instance:

tabaga

ta-baga
take-baga

'taker'

(as in, 'the person that took/takes so-and-so')

In these cases, the thing that is done is typically already established and is stated or is implicit based off the context:

N ka telefɔni bɛ min? N bɛna à tabaga sɔrɔ!

'Where is my phone? I'm going to get its "taker" [as in, 'whoever took it']!

The direct object of a transitive verb can also be included in the newly formed word:

kanfɔbaga

'language-speaker'

(as in, 'a person that speaks a previously mentioned language')

Patient agent: -tɔ

The suffix -tɔ is generally used to refer to patients or people that are victims of some sort of affliction. In this sense, it is generally negative.

It attaches directly to a noun.

For instance:

fatɔ

fa–tɔ
madness-tɔ

'crazy person'

Or:

kunatɔ

kuna-tɔ
leprosy-tɔ

'leper'

(as in, 'a person with leprosy')

Possessor agent: -bagatɔ

The suffix -bagatɔ (or its variant -baatɔ) is a combination of -baga and -tɔ. It is used for someone that "possesses" a certain state.

It is typically added to verb.

The resulting agent nouns can be negative. For instance:

banabagatɔ

bana-bagatɔ
sickness-bagatɔ

'sick person'

Or:

dɛsɛbagatɔ

dɛsɛ-bagatɔ
failure-bagatɔ

'destitute person; person that is a failure'

Or they came be positive. For example:

sɔrɔbaatɔ

'rich person'

Excessive agents that include -nci

Excessive agent: -nci

The suffix -nci (and its variant -nte) is generally used for excessive agents.

There are a limited number of words that take this suffix. And it is not widely used to create new words (that is, it is not "productive").

It generally attaches verbs (which can also be nouns).

The resulting agent nouns often have a negative connotation. For instance:

janfanci

janfa-nci
treason-nci

'traitor'

Or:

yɛrɛjiranci

yɛrɛ-jira-nci

self-show-nci

'self-important person'

(as in, 'someone who is vain')

That said, it is occasionally used for positive things. For example:

hinɛnci

hinɛ-nci
pity-nci

'merciful person'

(NOTE: Some linguists suggest that -nci is likely borrowed from Soninke, another West African language, which has a similar suffix that is commonly used. This explains its limited usage.)

Excessive agent: -baganci

The suffix -baganci (or its variant -baanci) is a combination of -baga and -nci. Like, -nci, it generally refers to an excessive agent.

It only appears in a handful of words.

It is often negative. For instance:

banbaganci

ban-baganci
refuse-baganci

'rebel'

But it can be positive-ish:

kanubaganci

kanu-baganci
love-baganci

'fan; enthusiast; stan'

(as in, 'an excessively passionate fan')

In a way these words can be viewed as equivalents of their simpler forms with -baga. For instance:

banbaga

'rebel'

Or:

kanubaga

'fan; enthusiast'

Suffixes of reciprocity

Reciprocal agent: -ma

This suffix is used for reciprocal agents.

It attaches to nouns.

For instance:

tɔgɔma

tɔgɔ-ma
name-ma

'namesake'

(Note that this term is often used affectionately to refer to someone who has the same name as you [e.g., n tɔgɔma 'my namesake']. In French in West Africa, the equivalent term is homonyme, which is often shortened to homo.)

In some cases, it attaches to a noun that already refers to a person. In such cases, it highlights the the shared relations between people. For instance:

báden 'sibling' → bádenma '(fellow) sibling'

Fellow agent: -ɲɔgɔn

The suffix -ɲɔgɔn comes from a related word ɲɔgɔn which expresses reciprocity (e.g., An bɛ ɲɔgɔn fo 'We greet each other'). It used to express an idea of "fellow-ness"—that is, it is someone that is co-member of some group or activity.

It normally attaches to a verb.

For instance:

jɛɲɔgɔn

jɛ-ɲɔgɔn
assemble-ɲɔgɔn

'companion'

Or:

baarakɛɲɔgɔn

baara-kɛ-ɲɔgɔn
work-do-ɲɔgɔn

'co-worker'

Or:

sigiɲɔgɔn

sigi-ɲɔgɔn
sit-ɲɔgɔn

'neighbor' (cf. 'fellow sitter; cohabitant')

Or:

tɔɲɔgɔn

(NOTE: Some Bambara speakers may pronounce ɲɔgɔn as [ɲwan].)

Agent suffixes you already know

The following two suffixes are ones that you almost surely already know! They come up early on in greetings and some of the common words that new learners of the language pick up.

Inhabitant agent: -ka

You have already seen the suffix -ka, but just for clarity, here it is again.

It attaches to places and designates someone that is from a place.

For instance:

Bamakɔka

'person from Bamako; Bamakois'

In some cases, you may see it combined with -la (which is also a suffix that can be used to refer to a place—let's not get it here though). For instance:

cɛlaka

'a person of the husband's residence'

(as in, "a person from the husband's side of the family")

Note that this suffix also appears in the some quasi or fully fledged names for ethnic groups.

For instance:

maninka

manin-ka < manden-ka
Manden-ka

'Maninka; Malinké'

(lit. 'person from Manden')

Master agent: tigi

In some cases, "agent words" are made not from suffixes, but from words that can stand alone.

The word tigi for instance can translated roughly for instance as "owner" or "master". Just like those words in English, it can appear on its own.

But it can also appear attach to the end of other words to form compound nouns for "agents" or people that do things in the world.

In these cases, it attaches directly to a noun.

For instance:

dugutigi

'village chief'

Or:

jitigi

'water owner'

(as in, 'a person selling water on the side of the road')

Or:

nkalontigi

'liar'

(as in, 'the person who is responsible for telling a lie')

(NOTE: The fully fledged word tigi optionally appears in some relative sentences that make general statements about people [e.g., Mɔgɔ min b'à fɛ ka taa Bamakɔ, o (tigi) ka wari di, lit. 'Any person that wants to go to Bamako, that person should give money']. In that case, it doesn't have a meaning related to ownership or control.)

Summary

Ayiwa! In this chapter, we covered the following:

• Agent nouns in Bambara are formed via agentive suffixes.
• The suffix -la/na signifies someone who does something habitually. It attaches to a noun and verb combination (e.g., baarakɛla 'worker')
• The suffix -baga is used for occasional agents and can attach directly to verbs (e.g., kumabaga 'speaker')
• The suffix -tɔ is used to refer to patients or people that are victims of some sort of affliction and attaches to a noun (fiyentɔ 'blind person')
• The suffix -bagatɔ is used for someone that "possesses" a certain state and typically attaches to a verb (banabagatɔ 'sick person')
• The suffix -nci is used for excessive agents, generally has a negative connotation, and attaches to verbs or nouns (e.g., janfanci 'traitor')
• The suffix -baganci is a combination of -baga and -nci, referring to an excessive agent, and appears in a handful of words (e.g., banbaganci 'rebel')
• The suffix -ma is used for reciprocal agents and attaches to nouns (e.g., tɔgɔma 'namesake')
• The suffix -ɲɔgɔn is used to express an idea of "fellow-ness" and normally attaches to a verb (e.g., baarakɛɲɔgɔn 'co-worker')
• The suffix -ka designates someone that is from a place and attaches to places (e.g., Bamakɔka 'person from Bamako')
• The word tigi can function like an agentive suffix when it attaches to a noun, translating roughly to "owner" or "master" (e.g., dugutigi 'village chief')