Function of Suffix-nya (Indonesian '-nya')

2.4 Function of Suffix -nya

Suffix [-nya] also principally has its own functions in Indonesia. According to Sneddon, suffix [-nya] can be divided into seven functions, among those: as a possessive pronoun, object pronoun, an agentive object, a determiner, nominalizer, an adverbializer, and indefinite number. Each function of suffix [-nya] is explained below:

2.4.1 Suffix [-nya] as possessive pronoun

Possessive pronoun in English is described as a pronoun which shows a possessive of something or someone. In Indonesian, suffix [-nya] can be used to show a possession, in this case as a possession of a singular or plural person. This suffix has several functions within the noun phrase. It can functions as third person possessive pronoun (Sneddon, 1996: 150)

For examples:

1)      SL: Dia menantikan Ola, suaminya.

TL: he a waited Ola, her husband (Sneddon, 1996: 158)

2)      SL: Dimana rumahnya?

TL: Where do you live?(Literally: where is her/his house) (Sneddon, 1996: 163)

In example above, all suffix [-nya], function as a possessive pronoun. This suffix is attached to nouns, such as to the nouns suami, and rumah. Because its functions as possessive pronouns, it means that all suffix [-nya] attached to the words above show possession. Because of showing possession, so the words in examples above can be further defined into suami dia or suaminya, and in another example rumah dia or rumahnya.

2.4.2 Suffix [-nya] is translated into Object Pronoun

Suffix [-nya] functioning as object pronoun can be gotten after noun in active sentences. It has the meaning of dia. It is translated into object pronoun like her and him.

Example:

            SL: Narti menunggunya (Sneddon, 1996: 165)

           

            TL: Narti is waiting for him (Sneddon, 1996: 165)

In example above suffix [-nya] in the word menunggunya is translated into him in target language. And if we look at English function suffix [-nya] has functions as object pronoun.

2.4.3 Suffix [-nya] as an Agentive Object

Suffix [-nya] functions as an agentive object means that the [-nya] receive an action of the object. It is usually found in passive sentences. The example of the [-nya] which as an agentive object is:

1)      SL: Narti ditunggunya

TL: He is waiting for narti (Sneddon, 1996: 166)

The function of the [-nya] in this example is an agentive object. The [-nya] in this sentence is placed after a passive verb like ditunggu + nya. In this case it does not have function as possession. In the example above suffix [-nya] is translated into he in English.

2.4.4 Suffix [-nya] as a Determiner

The [-nya] functioning as determiner means that suffix [-nya] in this case as a determining word, which is usually put after noun. It can also attached to the head of noun, being translated into the. This can occur where the noun has not been mentioned before, but is understood within the context of the utterance (Sneddon, 1996: 150)

1)      SL: Kalau mau makan, nasinya dilemari

TL: If you want to eat, the rice is in the pantry (Sneddon, 1996:      151)

2)      SL: Saya mau kekantor pos tetapi tidak tahu jalannya

TL: I want to go to the post office but I don’t know the way (Sneddon, 1996: 151)

In the examples above, all the [-nya] are used as determiner. Determiner means the words that modify a noun. In this situation the [-nya] does not have lexical relation meaning with dia. The [-nya] in (1) nasinya and (2) jalanya are determiners, the [-nya] only functions to determine a thing expressed by the speaker.

2.4.5 Suffix [-nya] as an Adverbializer

The use of the [-nya] functioning as an adverbializer means that suffix [-nya] is used to form an adverbial phrase or an object complement of a sentence. The function of suffix [-nya] as an adverb can be seen from the sentences bellows:

SL: Rupanya dia tidak akan lulus

TL: It seems as if he will not pass (Margono, 1999: 19)

In example above, the word rupanya is translated into the word seems in English. Rupanya is combined with the word rupa + suffix [-nya]. In this sentences, suffix [-nya] functions as an adverbial phrase. In example above, it is used to form adverb rupanya as adverbializer.

2.4.6 Suffix [-nya] as Nominalizer

Nominalized adjectives of measure only take [-nya] obligatorily if there is no other possessor expressed. In the presence of a first or second person possessor [-nya] cannot occur (Sneddon, 1996: 306)

1)      SL: Beratnya sepuluh kilo.

TL: Its weight is ten kilos (Sneddon, 1996: 306)

2)      SL: Gunung itu tingginya 2000 m (Margono,1999:19)

TL: The Mountain, its height is 2000 m (Margono, 1999:19)

In example (1) Suffix [-nya] changes the adjective which is stated by word berat into noun beratnya as nominalizer. And in example (2) suffix [-nya] changes the adjective which is stated by word tinggi into noun tingginya as nominalizer which refers to the noun gunung itu.

2.4.7 Suffix [-nya] as indefinite numbers

According to Sneddon in her book entitled Indonesia Reference Grammar, several indefinite numbers can occur as pronouns, in which case they taken suffix[-nya] (Sneddon,1996: 175). The [-nya] functions as indefinite numbers can be given in examples bellow:

1)      SL: Semuanya (Sneddon: 1996: 175)

TL: All of them (Sneddon: 1996: 175)

2)      SL: Seluruhnya (Sneddon: 1996: 175)

TL: All of it (Sneddon: 1996: 175)

In example (1) suffix [-nya] indicates an indefinite number from word semuanya and when it is translated into English, suffix [-nya] refers to the pronoun which is stated by pronoun them. And in example (2) suffix [-nya] shows indefinite number from word seluruh and when it is translated into English suffix [-nya] refers to the pronoun which is expressed by pronoun it. 

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Affixes - Prefix, Infix, Suffix

Affixes

An affix is a morpheme which only occurs when attached to some other morpheme or morphemes such as a root or stem or base. Obviously, by definition affixes are terms are bound morphemes. No word may contain only an affix standing on its own, like –y or –ed or –al or even a number of affixes strung together like –al-s (Katamba, 1993: 44).

There are two types according to function: derivational and inflectional. When a derivational affix is attached to a base it changes the word to another class, that is, it derives another class. An inflectional affix does not change the category of the word. Most affixes in Indonesian are derivational (Sneddon, 1996: 26)

1. Prefix

Prefix is an affix attached before a root or stem or base like re-, un-, and in-. For example: re-make, un-kind, in-decent (Katamba, 1993: 44)

According to Sneddon, in her book is Indonesia Reference Grammar, prefix is:

A prefix is attached before the base. When a prefix is discussed separately it is indicated by a hyphen after it, such as ber-. (Sneddon, 1996:7)

Bauer states that the most general rule that can given for prefixes that they do not bear primary stress and do not affect the stress of derivatives, but there are innumerable exceptions of this. There is, however, frequently a subsidiary stress on a prefix, and always one if the prefix consists of more than one syllable (Bauer, 1983:123)

Here are the examples of prefixes:

1)      Renang + ber: berenang (Sneddon, 1996: 8)

2)      Rusak + per: perusak (Sneddon, 1996: 8)

In example number (1) the word renang is added by prefix ber-.  It changes the function of renang that is from noun to verb. It also happens in example number (2), the word rusak is added by prefix per-. The function also changes, that is from adjective to noun. 

2. Infix

Katamba (1993: 44) states an infix is an affix inserted into the root itself. Infixes are very common in English languages and infixing somewhat rare in English. Infixation is not productive and only a limited number of infixed forms occur. Because of this infixed forms are no longer felt by most people to contain an affix and there are listed separately from their bases in dictionaries. The infixes are –em, -el-, -er-. (Sneddon, 1996: 25)

1)      Gigi + er: gerigi (Sneddon: 1996: 25)

2)      Getar + em: gemetar (Sneddon, 1996: 25)

In example number (1) the word gerigi is derived from the word gigi and infix [–er], and the word gemetar is derived from the word getar and infix [–em] in example number (2).

3. Suffix

Word formation is one of the most complicated problems in study of language. Word formation is a traditional label, and one which is useful, but it does generally cover all possible ways of forming everything that can be called a word in particular. The use of term word formation is of value when the rules for the formation of the word are not identical with the rules for the information of sentence. For the examples, I work hard and I am working hard. (Margono, 1999: 21)

Suffix is for the formation of new words by attaching to nouns, verb and adverbs. New words formed using the suffixes and the old words are often referred to the new words in a language form English. The suffixes are recognized in many languages. In the formation of the new words, the old words to which the suffixes are attached are usually like the prefixes, the suffixes are also in Indonesia. The suffix which is used for the transformation of a new word is often found in written or spoken communication. Similar to a word, the suffix which a used for the formation of a new word may also often translated into a target language.A suffix comes after a base, indicated by hyphen before it, such as: -an, -nya (Sneddon, 1996: 7)

According Katamba in his book is morphology, suffix is an affix which attached after the root, or stem or base like –ly, -er, -ist, -ing, and –ed (Katamba, 1993:44)

  As further seen in the following examples:

1)      Bulan + an: bulanan (Sneddon, 1996: 52)

2)      Hari + an: harian (Sneddon, 1996: 52)

In the first example, the word bulan is added by suffix –an. It changes the function of bulan that is from noun to adverb. It also happens in example number (2), the word hari is added by suffix –an. The function also changes, that is from noun to adverb. 

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Morpheme - Free Morpheme / Bound Morpheme

Morpheme

In English, the new words can be formed by putting certain morphemes before the words, inserting certain morphemes in the middle of the words or adding certain morphemes after the words. The term of morpheme refers to the smallest, individual units of the semantic content or grammatical function of which the words are made up of. The morphemes cannot be composed into smaller units which are either meaningful by themselves or mark a grammatical function like number: singular or plural, and tenses: present and past (Katamba, 1993: 20)

The claim that words have structure might come as a surprise because speakers normally think of words as indivisible unit of meaning. This is probably due to the fact that many words are morphologically simple. For example: the, fierce, desk, eat etc cannot be segmented (i.e. divided up) into smaller that are meaningful by themselves. It is impossible to say what the quito part of mosquito or the –erce part of fierce means (Katamba, 1993: 19)

Morphemes are the smallest different in the shape of word that correlates with the smallest different in the word or sentences meaning or in grammatical structure (Katamba, 1993: 20)

Another theory comes from Bauer in his book entitled English Word Formation. He states that the basic units of analysis recognized in morphology are morpheme (Bauer, 1983: 13) 

Kinds of morpheme

Basically there are two morphemes which can form a new word i.e. bound morpheme and free morphemes.

1. Free morpheme

Roots which are capable of standing independently are called free morphemes. For example: man, book, tea, and sweet, bet, very. Single words like those mentioned before are the smallest free morphemes that are capable of occurring in isolation. The free morpheme mentioned before are examples of basic morphemes. There are nouns, verbs, adjective, preposition, and adverbs. Such morphemes carry most of the semantic content of utterances that is loosely defined to caver nations like referring to individuals ( e.g. john, mother), attributing properties ( e.g. the adjective kind, clever), describing action, process or state (e.g. the verb: hit, write, rest) expressing relations ( e.g. the preposition: in, on, under) and describing circumstances like manner (e.g. kindly) ( Katamba, 1993: 41). Another statement comes from Bauer, in his book entitled English Word-Formation (1983). He states that a morph which can occur in isolation (i.e. which can also be a word-form) is termed a free morpheme (Bauer, 1983: 17)

2. Bound morpheme

Many roots are incapable of occurring in isolation. They always occur in some other word-building element attached to them. Such roots are called bound morphemes. The examples of bound morphemes are: -mit (permit, remit, and admit), -cieve (perceive, receive, and conceive) (Katamba, 1993: 42)

Based on English Word-Formation by Bauer (1983), it is stated that a morph which can only occur in the word-in conjunction with at least on other morph is termed a bound morpheme (Bauer, 1983: 17) 

 Credits: Dana