ABSTRACT
The project is a study of morphological complexity in Igbo language. This research work aims to thoroughly examine the morphological complexity in the Igbo language, with the primary objectives of describing the structure of complex words in the Igbo language, investigating the status of roots as free or bound morphemes in Igbo, establishing word-formation processes for complex words in Igbo and comparing the usage patterns of these processes within the morphology of the Igbo language. The data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. For data analysis, the Basic Linguistic Theory (Dixon, 2010) was adopted. This theoretical framework is suitable for describing languages, as it places emphasis on grammatical structure and data generation for studies in linguistic typology. Data analysis focused on the structural composition of complex words in the Igbo language. Various morphological processes that contribute to the formation of complex words with distinct meanings, including compounding, affixation, reduplication, conversion, and clipping were discussed using appropriate examples. The findings of the study include the flexibility of roots which operate as both free and bound morphemes in the language. Also, Igbo morphology involves various processes, such as compounding, affixation (prefixation, suffixation, infixation, circumfixation, and interfixation), reduplication, conversion, and clipping. The project shows that the Igbo language uses these processes for creating different types of complex words.
