Verb Formations with Prefix Pa-in Toba Batak: A Study of Generative Morphology

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-501-0_18How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Prefix pa-; Toba Batak; Verb Formations; Generative Morphology; Endangered Languages

Abstract

Through verb forms, this study explores the understudied patterns of the prefix pa- [pa-] in Toba Batak, an endangered Austronesian language, thereby filling a significant gap in morphological research. While prefixes have been extensively examined in languages such as English and German, little is known about their functions in Toba Batak. This work addresses this gap by adapting Halle’s (1973) generative morphology model to the unique characteristics of Toba Batak. The data were obtained from twelve native speakers residing in Samosir Regency and Toba Samosir Regency. The results show that five distinct syntactic categories verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and bound forms can take the prefix pa- [pa-] to form verbs in Toba Batak. Notably, the study demonstrates that the prefix pa- [pa-] carries considerable grammatical and lexical meanings and is highly productive. These nuances are effectively captured by the modified Hallean model, which incorporates orthographic and phonological rules and offers a new framework for investigating non-Indo-European languages. By identifying these unique syntactic categories, the study advances the understanding of Toba Batak’s structure and supports the preservation of endangered languages. This research further underscores the importance of preserving languages such as Toba Batak, particularly in the era of globalization. It also highlights the pedagogical and cultural benefits of learning the language, thereby encouraging further studies on under-represented languages and promoting the integration of linguistic research with practical initiatives for language preservation.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Esron Ambarita
AU  - Elita Modesta Br. Sembiring
AU  - Faido Marudut Pardamean Simanjuntak
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/16
TI  - Verb Formations with Prefix Pa-in Toba Batak: A Study of Generative Morphology
BT  - Proceedings of the International Seminar of Languages, Arts and Literature Education (ISLALE 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 179
EP  - 202
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-501-0_18
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-501-0_18
ID  - Ambarita2025
ER  -