Abstract:
The aim of this study was to examine the morpho-phonological properties of the
anaphoric constructions in Northern Sotho using Binding Theory. This study adopted
the qualitative research method, where participant observation was used to collect
data. The study employed Textual Analysis to analyse the data.
The study identified reflexive and reciprocal data that constitute anaphors in Northern
Sotho. The study’s findings indicate that there are two types of anaphors, namely:
reciprocals and reflexives. In Northern Sotho, anaphors are in the form of verbs. The
basic structure of the reciprocal is the root verb, the reciprocal suffix (-an) plus the
terminative vowel (-a). The study found that reciprocals do not change or influence the
phonology of the verb. Yet another finding is that reflexives change the phonology of
the verb. When the reflexive prefix -i is attached to the root verb, it sometimes changes
the assimilation process.
