Morphological Compounding: How Poetic Mongsen constructs Meaning through Word Combinations

This study investigates the morphological variations in terms of the compound word formation process between Poetic Mongsen, a near-extinct language used for traditional songs among the Ao people of Nagaland, India, and spoken Mongsen. Poetic Mongsen exhibits a derivational morphology similar to that of spoken Mongsen but also demonstrates unique features. Notably, Poetic Mongsen incorporates words from Chungli, another Ao language, resulting in Chungli loanwords, combining Mongsen and Chungli morphemes. Additionally, Poetic Mongsen employs metaphors extensively, leading to the formation of numerous exocentric compounds not found in spoken Mongsen. This article is based on fieldwork data gathered during interviews with nine consultants across fi ve villages, which informs the analysis of these morphological variations. It attempts to contribute to the understanding of Poetic Mongsen’s word formation process and provide valuable insights into the unique linguistic and artistic features of a poetic language.