# I. Introduction ffixation is a morphological process which involves the attachment of affixes to root to create a new word. Crystal (2008:16) defines affixation as the morphological process whereby grammatical or lexical information is added to a stem. Affixes are of different types based on their position of occurrence. The affixes attached to the initial position of a root/stem are called prefixes. Interfixes are added to the middle of two morphemes, while those added at the final part of the root/stem are called suffixes. In Úwù, prefixes and interfixes are used extensively to derive new words. Suffixes are not attested in the language. # II. Purpose of the Study This paper contributes to the ongoing research on dialectology. Several works have been published on the dialects of languages to know the similarities and differences in the dialects of the language under study. It is not strange that languages have similarities and differences at all levels of grammar. Little publications exist in the area of phonology (see Allison 2017 on Vowel Deletion in Úwù, Boyede 2018 on Assimilation in Úwù). In the area of morphology, however, no work has been published on affixation in the language. This paper, therefore, intends to fill the academic gap and to further document assimilation in the language for posterity. # a) Theoretical Frameworks The principle of headedness in linguistic stated that any phrase has a single head. In contemporary morphology, complex words (like derivation through affixation, reduplication, compounds) are assumed to have heads. Williams (1981:248) proposes the manifestation of Right Hand Head Rule (RHHR) which stipulates that Right Hand Head Rule in morphology is when the head of a complex word is the right-hand member of that word. According to this rule, we can infer that the head of a morphologically complex word can be defined regarding its position in the complex compound word (Taiwo, 2009). Owolabi (1995) came up with the Left Hand Head Rule (LHHR) to account for the Yoruba structure of morphologically complex words. The rule says that the head of a morphologically complex word will always be at the left-hand position in the whole compound word (Taiwo, 2009). Thus, since Úwù language which our analysis based upon has the same word structure with the Yoruba language, hence, the principle of Left Hand Head Rule is adopted for the analysis of morphologically complex words in this research. # b) Prefixation in Úwù Prefixation is a morphological process which involves the addition of morpheme(s) to the initial position of a root or stem. Prefixes as bound elements (i.e., they never occur in isolation) which precede the root. From this definition, one can infer that prefixation is the morphology of adding a bound element (morpheme to a root stem). A root is the basic core of a word that takes the addition of other elements while a stem is a root (with or without other affixes) which is capable of receiving other bound element to derive new words. Prefixation is a derivational process in Úwù language. The data below show the derivation of deverbal nouns by prefixation in Úwù language: A data using the headedness theoretical approach. The above examples are anatomized on tree diagrams below: # Genitive Nouns Construction in Úwù The genitive marker can be prefixed to a noun to derive the owner of the item named by the noun. Apart from connoting the owner of the item named, the marker can also be added to a noun to derive the agentive noun. In Úwù, the genitive morpheme is o?i-. Volume XVIII Issue XI Version I As earlier stated in the theoretical framework of this paper, that the headedness theory would be used to present the analysis of the morphological part of the research, it is therefore pertinent we analyze the above In the above data, we observed that when we add 'o?i-' to a noun, its form changes. When it is added to a vowel-initial noun, the high front vowel [i] of the genitive morpheme gets deleted to disallow two nonidentical vowels from co-occurring. Such deletion is observed in examples (i) to (vii) above. However, the vowel is retained when the morpheme is added to a consonantinitial noun as seen in example (viii). Allison (2015) has suggested that the form of the genitive morpheme in Úwù is "o?i." A cursory look at his claim revealed that the form "o?i" is not the basic form of the genitive morpheme. Allison (2015) cited the following examples to support his point: The form "o?i", when added to a noun, depicts the dealership or vocation of X. our findings further revealed that the nouns which the form "o?i" is added to are nouns which are derived through prefixation of "a-". the form that is derived after the prefixation The forms above do not reflect the person who does the action i.e., it does not point to a particular person who acts. The forms only reflect the person that performs an action after the form "o?i" is prefixed to them. It should be well said to refer to such form (o?i) as agentive morpheme rather than genitive morpheme in Úwù since it depicts the person who specializes in a particular act or vocation. Whereas, the o?i? form is added to basic nouns to show dealership, ownership of X. The findings in this research work agreed with Abiodun et # Affixation in Úwù language Another instance of prefixation in Úwù is seen in the derivation of continuous verbs. The morpheme 'a-' is attached to the verb root to derive the continuous form. The examples below show this derivation in Úwù language. From the data above, one can deduce that 'a-' is prefixed to a verb to derive the continuous form of the verb. # III. Interfixation According to Modesta and Yusuf (2007), the affixation that builds words by interfixing morphemes is found in many Nigerian languages. Interfixation involves inserting an affix between two identical or non-identical roots. The affix functions as a linkage between the two roots that are attached. Global Journal of Human Social Science -In the data above, the morpheme (Associative morpheme) that mediates between the two nouns is inserted as an interfix to block the nouns from occurring sequentially. A morpheme always mediates noun-noun constructions in Úwù. The form of the morpheme is "ni" contrary to Allison (2017) who posited that the form is ni. He referred to the morpheme as an Associative Morpheme (AM). The vowel of the associative morpheme is always deleted when it precedes vowelinitial noun. However, the vowel is retained when the noun that occurs after it is consonant-initial. From the data above, we observed that the vowel of the associative morpheme which functions as an interfix is deleted when it is followed by a vowel initial noun as seen in data (a). However, the vowel of the form is not deleted (no phonological change) when it is followed by a consonant-initial noun as seen in data (b). # IV. Conclusion This paper has carefully and adequately dealt with the concept of affixation as a morphological process in Úwù language. It has been established that Úwù language affixation processed is premised in prefixation and interfixation. The language does not make use of suffixation in its word formation processes. The paper identified that the genitive marker in Úwù is attached as a prefixation to nouns to derive ownership, dealership of an item. We have also asserted in the study that a-is attached as a prefix to verbs to derive the continuous form of the verbs. Affixation in Úwù languagePrefix + VerbNouni.i+gb?"?igb?"? 'abuse.'to abuseii.??+lá??lá'dream.'to dreamiii. n+fá? ?fá 'rope.'to stretchiv. à+jíàjí'birth.'to give birthv.í+ru? ?íru? ?'fart.'Year 2018to fart36i.NPrefVNOMIgb ?"?= igb ?"?'abuse'G )ii.N(Global Journal of Human Social Science -Gen markerPref NOM I NounV t?"??= it?"??'grave.' Outputi.Ã?"li ?+agbadoólágbado'maize seller/owner'ii.Ã?"lí+aroroólároro'a stingy person'iii.ólí+ì?òwòólí?òwò'trader'iv.ólí+ataj??ólátaj??'pepper seller'v.ólí+á? w áólá? w á'owner/seller of dog'© 2018 Global Journals vi.ólí+?"??f??ól?"??f??'vegetable seller'vii.ólí+?"?m??ól?"??m??'palm wine owner/seller'viii. ólí+wéwéólíwéwé'leave seller'i.Ã?"ní# àkirino?na ??kirin'person who/that sings'Year 2018ii.Ã?"ní# àluloo?na ??lulo'person who/that drums'iii.Ã?"ní# àpojinao?na ??pojina'person who/that tell lies'iv.Ã?"ní# àtajao?na ??taja'person who/that sells'a + ki?irinaki?rin 'who/that sings'a + paojinoapojina 'who/that tell lies'a + luùlòalùlò 'who/that beat drum'a + taojàatajà 'who/that sells'G )(i.PrefNVGlobal Journal of Human Social Science -GENólíagbado= olagbado'maize seller'© 2018 Global Journals ii.NPrefNGENólíároro= olároro'stingy person'Year 2018iii.NPrefNGENólíì?òwò= olì?òwò'trader'RootPrefixVerbOutput( G )i. ii.?e pé'eat' 'cut'a a+ +?e péa?e apé'eating'. 'cutting'.iii.kpá'climb'a+kpáakpá 'climbing'.iv.mí'breath'a+míamí'breathing'.v.dá'go'a+dáadá'going'.i.à?á+ni+ à???à?ánà???'office'.ii.o?gu+ni+ únáo?gunu?na?'firewood'.iii.à?á+ni+ iweà?ániwe'school'.iv.?mã+ni+ ??w???mãn??w??'finger'.v.àkpótí +ni+ àkìàkpótínàkì'box (of cloth)'.© 2018 Global Journals * Genitive Construction in Aha? and A?ere MAAbiodun JAdeoye IOA & Allison Ado Ekiti, Nigeria Ekiti State University Unpublished) * IOAllison Phonology of Úwù: M.A Thesis Ado Ekiti 2015 Ekiti State University * Vowel Deletion and Insertion in Úwù IOAllison Journal of Languages and Education 3 2 2017 * Ayere and Ahan Languages of Central Nigeria and their Affinities. Wordlist Circulated for Comment RBlench 2007 Cambridge University Press * Assimilation in Úwù Language COBoyede International Journal of Innovative Language 6 2 1621 2018. April-June, 2018 Literature & Art Studies * DCrystal A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics Blackwell Publishers 2008 th Ed * IloeneModesta YusufOre Morphology in Yusuf Ore Ilorin Unilorin Press 2007 Basic Linguistics * Introduction to Morphology and Morphological Analysis EANida 1965 University of Michigan Press Ann Arbor * Language in Nigeria: essays in honour of KOwolabi Ayo Bamgbose, (ed.) Owolabi, K 1995 Group Publishers Ibadan More on Yoruba Prefixing Morphology * Headedness and the Structure of Yoruba Compound Words OTaiwo Taiwan Journal of Linguistics 7 1 2009 * On the Notions 'Lexically Related' and 'Head of a Word' ESWilliams Linguistic Inquiry 12 1981 * References Références Referencias Volume XVIII Issue XI Version I