Transcript 323-Morphology

323 Morphology
The Structure of Words
5. Morphological Trees
(This page last updated 5 NO 06)
5.1 Compounding
Lexical compounds are words that contain at least two stems (lexemes). Up to this
point all the stems have simplex in that they contained only one stem. Various kinds of
categorical stems may be combined into a compound lexical stem.
E.g N+N: dog+house
A+N: black+bear
V+N: run+way
N+A: fat+free
N+V: house+sit
A+A: blue+green
N+N compounds are productive, but the others seem to be less productive.
Lexical compounds are formed from two or more stem, but the stems are not word-forms.
With very few exceptions, no inflectional affix can be added to each stem independently.
Inflectional affixes are added to the compound stem, though this point may be hard to
illustrate. It is the first stem that rarely carries an inflectional marker:
E.g. toothache, *teethache
footprint, *feetprint
birdfood, *birdsfood
greenhouse, *greenerhouse
bluenose,*bluestnose
runway, *ranway
5.1 Compounding
Incorporation is a process where an argument of the verb, usually the direct object, is adjoined to the
verb, with varying results in languages which incorporate. It is common in N. American indigenous
languages and in Chutkotko-Kamchatkan languages of Siberia, and possibly in other languages.
Inflectional affixes may occur with the incorporated noun, but not in all of them. (See H p. 86.)
H. proposes the term interfix for languages that insert a morpheme that appears to be a stem-extender
ion compound words.
5.2 Hierarchical Structure HDR in Compounds
5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent Relations
Like syntax, complex words can be represented in structures as well as tree structures.
Consider, for example, doable. As we already know, it consists of a base a derivational suffix: [DO]—
[ABLE]. The former is a verb stem and the latter is a suffix. H says that the category of the combined
unit is an adjective. How do we know this? Since DO is a verb stem, DOABLE cannot inherit the
category A from DO. The only other source is from the suffix ABLE. All adjectives with the suffix ABLE
that are derived from verbs suggests that the suffix ABLE carries the information that the derived stem
is an adjective stem. The following tree contains the requisite information:
N-stem
WORKER
A-stem
DOABLE
V-stem
DO
A-suffix
ABLE
V-stem
WORK
N-stem
MANHOOD
N-suffix
ER
N-stem
MAN
N-suffix
HOOD
5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent Relations
The lexical entry for ABLE properly contains that information as well as the information what it must be
adjoined to:
ABLE [Ability]
ER [Agent, Instrument]
HOOD [Group, Stat
A, [-Root], [Suffix], [Vhost]
N, [Suffix], [-Root], [V-host]
N, [Suffix] [-Root], [Nhost]
/R/
/EBL/
/HƱD/
It must be adjoined to a verb stem. Note that derivational affixes are adjoined to bases, not to inflected
word-forms. Derivational affixes may be adjoined to bases which are not stems:
E.g. de-fer, re-fer, in-fer, con-fer, pre-fer.
These examples show that derivational affixes are adjoined to bases. Whether the base is a stem is
immaterial to the derivational process. The base FER and other similar bases must contain the
information that it is not a lexical stem:
FER
BEL
TEND
V, [-Lexical]
V, [-Lexical]
V, [-Lexical]
/HƱD/
/HƱD/
/TƐND/
The prefix RE which is adjoined to the above two bases has the following entry:
RE
V, [Prefix], [V-host]
/RƗ/
5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent Relations
Occasionally, the base may show a morphophonemic alternation:
E.g. de-stroy, de-struc-t-ion; re-duce, re-duc-t-ion; sub-mit, submission..
The lexical entry for DUCE/DUC is less complex:
DUC
V, [+Root], [-Lexical]
/D{U}/
{U} = {/D{US}/##, #/ʌK/}
STRUC
V, [+Root] , [-Lexical]
{/STR{OJ}/
{OJ} = {/OJ/ /DE—STR___/##, #/ʌK/ }
5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent Relations
MIT
V, [+Root] , [-Lexical]
{/M ɪ{Tʃ}/
{Tʃ} = {/ʃ/ /___{J}/ʌN/, #/T/}
If a word-from contains two suffixes, there is an additional level. Consider undrinkable:
E.g. un-drink-able.
A -st em
A-suffix
UN
A-st em
V -st em
DRINK
A-suffix
ABLE
The suffix ABLE contains the feature V-host, indicating that it must be adjoined to a verb stem. The
suffix UN contains the feature A-host, which means that it must be adjoined to an adjective stem. The
prefix UN cannot be adjoined to a verb stem, block the construct *UN-DRINK. However, ABLE can be
adjoined to DRINK forming the A-stem DRINK-ABLE. Since DRINK-ABLE is an A-stem, then UN can be
adjoined to the verb stem produce the above tree structure.
5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent Relations
There is a prefix UN which can be adjoined to a verb stem:
E.g. unzip, unbutton, undo, unravel and so forth.
This prefix has a reversative meaning. It is different prefix because of its function. The tree structure
for unzipable is the following:
A-st em
A-suffix
ABLE
A -st em
A-suffix
UN
V-st em
ZIP
ABLE can also be adjoined to the verb stem ZIP producing the following structure:
A -st em
A-suffix
UN
A-st em
V -st em
ZIP
A-suffix
ABLE
5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent Relations
The lexical entry for UNA, UNv, ABLE, DRINK and ZIP are given:
UN [+Negative]
UN [+Reversative]
A, [-Root], [suffix], [A-host]
A, [-Root], [suffix], [V-host]
/ΛN/
/ΛN/
DRINK
ZIP
V, [+ROOT], [+Lexical]
V, [+Root], [+Lexical]
/DRɪNK/
/ZɪP/
Note: the feature [+Root] indicates a morpheme to which derivational affixes may be adjoined. Its
opposite, [-Root], indicates a morpheme to which derivational affixes may not be adjoined. The feature
[-Root] defines affixes.
We never got around to clitics. Clitics are [-Lexical]. They fall into at least two classes: operators and
pronouns. They are often reduced phonologically and They are adjoined to phrases , pronouns ,
auxiliary verbs, and perhaps other non-lexical items:
E.g. Can’t <- can not; won’t <- will not; I’ll <- I will; he’d <- he would.
E.g. See ya (phonologically one word) <- see you, see’em <- see him or <- see them.
E.g. His father’s house; the Queen of England’s hat.