Examining the Morphological Zeroes in Akan

This paper examines the morphological zeroes in Akan with respect to portmanteau morph, conversion, zero morphs, and empty morph. Akan, like other natural languages, have both overt and covert morphemes. However, previous studies on various aspects of Akan morphology have mostly assumed a structural morpheme-based approach to account for various constituents in complex words. Consequently, morphological zeroes in the form of portmanteau morph, conversion, zero, and empty morphs are yet to receive direct attention beyond passing statements in scholarly works. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the feasibility of portmanteau morph, conversion, zero morphs, and empty morphs in the context of Akan morphology. Beyond assessing these exceptional morphs in Akan on the parameters of expressiveness, exclusiveness, and contrastiveness as discussed in (cf. Haas 1957, Saporta 1964, Melcuk 2001), the study shows that on a morpheme to morph correspondence relationship, the absent overt morph or morpheme points to a morphological zero. Thus, the study conceptualizes morphological zeroes through portmanteau, conversion, zero, and empty morph in the context of Akan. This account is presented in the framework of constructive morphology.