This paper examines a phenomenon in the Setswana language whereby certain affixes, when combining with the verbal base, adjust their positions and forms according to phonological rules that can be termed "imbrication." D. T. Cole, among others, made a fair attempt at a morphological identification of these realizations, but did not go further into the phonological motivations of the process. The type "/j/" (y) alternants are examined and an explanation of the variant "-itse" of the perfect morpheme "-ile" and of the variant "-ets-" of the applicative morpheme "-el" is given. (MDM)