Asian Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies

Morpheme structure conditions (MSCs) are a term used in generative phonology to refer to conditions imposed on the structure of morphemes of language. Makhuwa is a Bantu language spoken in southern Tanzania, mainly in Masasi district, but also in the south-western parts of Nachingwea district. This paper describes segmental and sequential morpheme conditions of  Makhuwa, a language spoken in southern Tanzania, using the generative phonology approach. This study aimed to identify, discuss and document the Morpheme Structure Conditions. In order to collect data, the study used library and native intuition. For checking data and confirming various facts, several Makhuwa speakers were consulted. The findings indicate that in Morpheme structure conditions, both segmental and sequential, the presence of certain features of a sound facilitates the prediction of other features of that particular sound. In Makhuwa, the occurrence and non-occurrence of segments can also be stated by If-then conditions. Furthermore, it was noted that the Morpheme Structure Condition is a universal condition that governs the individual segments in isolation, and also the ones that govern the sequence of segments in syllable formation. Redundancies of features resulting from these MSCs and the syllable structures which constrain the combination of consonants and vowels have also been established. The study concludes that both the segmental and sequential morpheme Structure conditions in Makhuwa are universal phenomena that any phonological constraints need to be accounted for in their universalities.