LEC Transl at or s, interpr et er s, termi nol ogi st s (STIT),

2014/ course coordi nat or: ! Ionescu

Cours e one: Introduct i on to Morphol ogy
1!0! Domai n of Morphol ogy
"rie# o$er$i e% on t&e gro%t & o# '#!: 1(20 ) 1(4*: +merican
struct ur alis m (Sapir, ,!-arris): t&e %a. sound are used to distingui s&
meani ng in language! t&e. de$el oped and re#ined t&e t&eor . o#
p&one me!
1(40) 1(/*: 'orp&olog. occupi ed t&e cent r al place on t&e st age o#
Linguistics! (Language T&eor.)
L! "loom#iel d, E! 0ida ) descri pti$e anal.si s o# %ord struct ur e:
t&e %ord %as consi der ed in traditional anal .sis to 1e t&e 1asic unit o#
gramma t i cal t&eor. and le2icogr ap&.! 3ords are anal .s a1l e in ter ms o#
morp&e me s !
T&e organi4ati on o# 5rammar : in ter ms o# C6'7ETE0CE and
7E8968'+0CE! (e#inition o# eac& notion):
C: implicit ;n! o# t&e rules o# language< 7: act ual use o# language in
real situati ons! C ) innat e, gener al c&ar act er ) =0I>E8S+L 58+''+8 (:
a 1lue) print o# lg! a c&ild is 1orn %it&)! 7er#or manc e : act ual use o#
language in real li#e
=5 ) t&e #acult . o# t&e mind %&! det er mi nes t&e nat ur e o# language
ac?ui sition in t&e in#ant and o# linguistic compet enc e! T&e lg! #acult . o#
mind is t&e same in all &umans !
The struct ur e of UG:
) modul ar< a sum o# su1s.st e ms o# principles (rules)< man. o# t&e
principl es cont ai n parame t er s %&! are #i2ed 1. e2peri ence! (empirical
resear c&)! T&e parame t er s s&o% t&at man. rules are interdepende nt
and &old crosslingui sticall., t&e. are language uni$ers al s!
e! g! o# a parame t er : t&e rig&t) &and &ead/l e#t) &and &ead rule, i!e!
position o# t&e -ead o# a gramma t i cal consti t uent !
In t&e 07 the s e bi g books t&e rig&t) &andmos t %ord is: 0 books (t&e
-ead)! as a rule t&e - is t&e onl. o1ligat or . el! in a consti t uent ! < in a
compound: farmhous e ) t&e &ead is hous e ) t&e pi$ot al element #rom
a semant i c point o# $ie%! In @apanes e it is Aust t&e re$ers e!
1!1! Organi zat i on of the Grammar
0o%ada.s 'orp&olog. is regar ded as a s.nc&ronic discipline #ocusing
on t&e stud. o# %ord struct ur e rat &er t&an on t&e e$olution o# %ords!
LI05=ISTICS
L9 (semant i c le$el) ) meani ng o# utt er ances
)Str! (s.nt acti c le$el) ) S)struct ur e (s.nt act i c e2pr es si ons,
#orms)
'orp&ological le$el ) %ord struct ur e (%ord #ormati on rules:
in#lection, deri$ati on< compoundi ng)
7&onolog. (p&one mi cs) ) sound s.st e m
T&ese le$els are order ed in a &ierarc&.:
)Struct ur e
Le2icon Bcont e2t ) #ree rules: 398< cont e2t ) sensiti$e rules ) sel ectional
rest rictions< cont e2t ) #ree rules: 7S8 or su1cat egori 4at i on rulesC
'o$e (Transformational component)
S-Structure
The PF component the LF component
D-structure is a mapping system of representation of the lexical properties of
lexical items, i.e. the selectional properties of the verbs, for instance. D-Structure
is that component of in !hich "-to-" correlations hol# bet!een the
subcategori$ation frames %e.g. & ' (T)*+, ' (-P
"
- -P
.
' %-P
/
), an# the
categories !hich fulfill them (e.g. &,, bet!een referential expressions an#
thematic roles %e.g. his boo01 2ohn opens the #oor).
3ove maps the D-S representations to S-S representations %ina cc. !ith the
Pro4ection Principle).
S-Structure ' the level at !hich positions are lin0e#. 3orphology is the theory of
the Lexicon. The Lexicon is one of the subcomponents of rammar %together !ith
Syntax, phonology, an# semantics), or better sai#, one level of linguistic
2
#escription, one !ay of loo0ing at linguistic ob4ects. The Lexicon is the level of
linguistic analysis, !hether phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic or
even pragmatic.
This brings us to the follo!ing 5uestion6 the lexicon being a comprehensive list of
#ictionary formatte# !or#s, or lexical entries, !hat #o !e 0no! !hen !e 0no! a
!or#7 8hat 0in# of information have !e learne# !hen !e learn a !or#7 9t turns
out that the information enco#e# in a !or# is fairly complex6 each 0in# of
information encompasses in fact each of the subfiel#s of linguistics6 phonology,
morphology, syntactic category, pragmatics. For every !or# !e learn, !e learn
ho! it fits into the overall structure of sentences in !hich it can be use#.
e.g. rea#s ' 3ary rea#s the boo0.
rea#able ' The boo0 is rea#able.
Syntax ' the subfiel# of language that stu#ies the internal structure of sentences
an# the interrelationships among the internal parts %accor#ing to the
subcategori$ation rules, selectional restrictions).
Semantics ' stu#ies the nature of the meaning of in#ivi#ual !or#s an# the
meaning of !or#s groupe# into phrases an# sentences.
Pragmatics ' !or#s in use, in the actual context of #iscourse. %e.g. :ello ' no
meaning unless use# as in a greeting situation).
3orpho-syntax ' a fiel# share# by t!o subfiel#s. Their common unit of stu#y is
the 8;<D, as !ell as some general formal properties %as #iscusse# in =-bar
theory). Some of these properties contribute to establishing the #istinction
bet!een syntactic %i.e. phrases, of the form =P) an# lexical categories %-, &, ),
etc.). ) syntactic category is a bun#le of syntactic #istinctive features %such as
transitivity, for instance, agreement, etc.) in#exe# by a type or a number of bars of
the category, out of !hich the class features are the most important %(>?--,, >?-
&,), that morphological categories are entities that are formally i#entical in
character to syntactic categories, i.e. each morphological category is
#ecomposable into a set of features an# a type. The !or# level categories %=
@
) or
the lexical categories are -, &, ), P.
The !or# lies at the interface of morphology an# syntax, it is li0e a bottlenec0 in
the passage of information from the morphological to the syntactic level of
language #escription. From the !or#, syntax goes up!ar#, to form larger
structures %phrases an# sentences), !hereas 3orphology goes #o!n!ar#, into
D
inner constituency of !or#s. ) gra#ient of syntactic an# morphological categories
!oul# run as follo!s6
) EFF
) EF
!ord ) E
0
) E
)1/) 2 (stem/root)

) E
+##i2
'orp&olog. deal s %it& t&e interpr et at i on o# %ords in ter ms o# #orm and
meani ng!
" " The noti on of #e$i cal Cat e gory
T&e ter m o# LC %as introduced 1. C&oms;. (1(/*, S.nt actic
Struct ur es) to st and #or %&at traditional grammar i ans called Gpart s o#
speec&H! t&e ter m is 1uilt on analog. %it& t&e ter m le2ical item and it
indicat es t&e 0s, >s, +dA s, +d$ s, 7s, etc! to %&ic& a le2ical item
1elongs! T&e LC is lin;ed to a t&eor et i cal #rame (gener at i $e
trans#or mat i onal gramma r ) 1as ed on t&e E)1ar t&eor . (8! @ac;endo##,
1(II) and to t&e p&ras e struct ur e rules descri1ed 1. Emonds muc&
earlier (1(I2)! T&is t&eor et i cal #rame%or; is 1as ed on empirical dat a
and %it& it %e can identi#. t&e le2ical cat egori es, i!e! #rom t&e s.nt acti c
in#ormat i on (%&ic& is &ierarc&i call. organi4ed) %e gat &er #unctional
in#ormat i on! T&e #unctional in#ormat i on leads us to in#lection %&ic&
gat &er s t&e s.nt act i call.) dri$en %ord) #ormat i on rules!
% Infl ect i onal &ari ati on
3it&in a linguistic cont e2t a %ord under goes c&anges o# #orm, as it is
c&ar act eri4ed 1. t&e pres ence o# in#lectional mar;er s or #unctional
cat egori es, suc& as: case, num1er , gender , person, tens e, aspect ,
mood, compari son etc!
T&ere is a correl ati on 1et %een a cert ai n part o# speec& (LC) and its
c&ar act eri stic in#lectional mar;er s (cat egori es)! T&at is %&. t&es e
in#lectional mar;er s are also called relational cat egori es! 9or inst ance,
0ouns %it&in a sent ence under go case or num1er alt ernat i ons, 1ut
ne$er do t&e. under go Tense or +spect modi#icati ons! Compari son
4
st ands onl. #or adA ecti$es and ad$er 1s! T&is is %&. in#lectional $ari ation
%as seen to 1e o# a rest ricti$e nat ur e, to 1e deli miting t&e le2ical
cat egori es! T&e ter m Jcat egor .H desi gnat es t&e c&ar act eri sti c
in#lectional $ariation o# a cert ai n part o# speec&! 0ouns are
c&ar act eri4ed (c#! +ristotl e) 1. t&e #unctional cat egori es o#: case,
num1er , gender , det er mi nat i on< >er1s: tens e, aspect , mood,
agree me nt ! 7ronouns: person, gender , num1er < +dAs and ad$s )
compari son!
' Inhere nt &s Cont e$t ual ( Conf i gur at i onal Cat e gori e s
) Infl ect i onal
Deri &at i onal morphol o gy K t.picall. contri1ut es to t&e creati on o#
ne% %ords pert ai ni ng to a di##erent class (c&ange o# le2ical cat egor .)
and it also adds #urt&er element s o# meani ng: t&e a##i2es Ker/) or turn
$er1s into nouns t&at &a$e t&e meani ng o# +gent s or instrument s (e! g!:
donat e/ donor , ;ill/;iller)! T&e LCs are open classes, cont ent %ords!
In#lectional morp&s ) par adi gma t i c set s < t&e. are closur e element s:
eg! compar t me nt L al L i4ed
z - in#l! element %&ic& closes do%n t&e %ord!
1ut M compar t me nt al i4edat i on
7aradi gms induce closur e upon %ords, i!e! t&e. pro&i 1it t&e #urt &er
possi 1ilit. o# &a$ing a deri$ati onal element at t ac&ed to it< in#lect ed
#orms alt ernat e K t&e. are organi4ed in par adi gms, &ence t&e. are in
compl e me nt ar y di stri but i on < nouns, #or inst ance, occur in par all el
set s o# t%o: &at/ &at s< 1oo;s/ 1oo;s, etc! Since t&e. are organi4ed in
paradi gms , in#lectional mar;er s are organi s ed in closed set s! T&e
element s o# a paradi gmat i c set ma. s&o% t&e p&enome non o#
suppl eti on i!e! one o# t&e #orms is not p&onol ogicall. relat ed to ot&er
#orms: go/went , so, t&e #orm o# Gwent F is said to 1e t&e suppl eti$e #orm
o# GgoF! + paradi gm can 1e de#ecti$e, it can lac; a #orm (modal $er1s, or
de#ecti$e nouns: trous er s/Mt rous er )! In#lections are #ormal mar;er s
(semant i call. t&e. are empt ., a1st r act ) t&at &elp us deli mit t&e le2ical
cat egor . o# t&e %ord to %&ic& t&e. at t ac&< t&at is to sa., eac& le2ical
cat egor . (maA or part o# speec&) is c&ar act eri s ed 1. speci#ic in#lectional
*
mar;er s< in#lectional mar;er s are depende nt on a cert ai n LC e2pr es si ng
t&e morp&o) s.nt acti c #eat ur es o# t&e respecti $e le2ical cat egor .!
+lt&oug& t&e. &a$e no descri pti$e cont ent , t&e. pass on t&e descripti$e
cont ent o# t&e cat egor . t&e. depend on!
The ma*or le$i cal cat e g ori e s : +, -, ., /!
Stud. o# t&e maA or le2ical cat egori es in ter ms o# le2ical semant i cs )
relation 1et %een #unctional element s (morp&ol og.), s.nt a2 (morp&o)
s.nt act i c) proper ti es or feat ur e s (accus at i $e case, past tens e etc!) and
t&e distri1uti on o# t&es e #eat ur es so as to render a cert ai n meani ng :
e! g! &o% %ould !ill 1e interpr et ed eit&er as a modal or a %a. to
e2pr es s #uturit . in Englis&, or &o% %ould a past tens e #unct or &a$e t&e
meani ng o# pres ent or #utur e time a!s! o!
omai n to stud. #or t&is semes t er : t&e int er#ace 1et! in#lectional
morp&ol og. and le2ical semant i cs and &o% cert ai n language) speci#ic
rest rictions oper at e at t&e le$el o# le2ical cat egori es!
*! In#lectional >ariation ) as a delimiting #act or o# LC s (9c!/$s L2!
cat eg! )!
LC s are distingui s&ed in ter ms o# t&eir s.nt acti c proper ti es
(distri1uti onal criterion, accordi ng to 8! @ac;endo##, 1(II): sub* ect ,
ob* ect , compl e me n t and det er mi nat i on are t&e s.nt act i c distincti$e
#eat ur es %&ic& delimit a num1er o# 10 (maA or and minor) LC s: +, -, .,
/0 Det , Comp, Tens e , .spec t , Modal , 1uant ( .&
Cours e %
1! S.nt acti c distinction 1et %een Le2ical Cat egori es: 0, >!, +, 7//+d$,
7rt, +rt, N, eg3, 'odal!
Ma*or cat e g ori e s :
Su/61A ect distri1uti on:
0: OL Su< ) 61P<
>: OLSu< L 61P<
/
+: O) Su< ) 61P<
7: O) Su< L 61P!
E2: Su relation: @o&n runs (run)< @o&nFs #ear< M @o&n tall, M@o&n on<
L/Su: 0, >< ) Su: +, 7<
E2!: 61Aect relation: eat a sand%ic& (eat L61A)< on t&e s&el#< Ma#raid t&e
girl< M&is consider at i on t&e o##er, inst ead o#: a#raid o# t&e girl< &is
consider at i on o# t&e o##er!
>, 7: OLdirect 61P<
0, +: O) irect 61P!
Minor #e$i cal Cat e gori e s :
) .d&2 s (li;e +dAecti$es): O ) Su< )61P : e! g! M @o&n rapidl.< M 8apidl. t&e
1o.!
) +s a di##erence #rom adA ecti$es, ad$er 1s cannot ta;e a compl eme nt
claus e, %&et &er #init e or non) #inite:
9or inst ance:
1! M rapidl. O t&at / t o go !!!P
2! +#raid/ a%ar e Ot&at s&e is illP< O#or &im to 1e illP!
T&e distri1uti$e #eat ur e in ?uesti on in t&is case is Compl eme nt : + OL
C6'7LP< +> O) C6'7LP!
/arti cl e s : T&e 34( 5 compl e me n t 6 #eat ur e is a signi#icant #eat ur e #or
distingui s&i ng 7articles as %ell:
e! g! up, on, a%a.: are li;e preposi tions, 1ut per mi t no compl eme nt s !
T&ere#or e, 1ot & 7reposi tions and 7articles are : O ) Su, L61P< 7 OL
complP< 1ut 7rt O ) ComplP!
Modal s : 'odals &a$e t&e #ollo%ing distincti$e s.nt act i c #eat ur es: 34
7u, 4Ob, 5 Compl 6 similarl., regul ar $er1s also ta;e su1A ect s, o1Aect s,
1ut t&e. also ta;e compl eme nt s : >: OLSu, L61, L ComplP!
.rticl e s :
) 0oun speci#iers: ) +rticle OL et er mi nat i onP<
) Nuanti#ier O ) et er mi nat i onP
I
) egr ee 3ords (a speci al class o# ad$er 1s): ) eg O L etP<
) +d$ O ) et P!
0o distri1uti onal e2pl anat i on #or conAunctions and compl eme nt i 4er s!
T&e #eat ur e distinctions a1o$e sort out 10 LCQs list ed as #ollo%s:
7u O Comp Det
- 4 4 4 5
M 4 4 5 5
/ 5 4 4 5
/rt 5 4 5 5
+ 4 5 5 4
1 5 5 5 5
. 5 4 4 5
Deg8 4
.d& 5 5 5 5
.rt 5 4 5 4
In concl us i on , t&e distincti$e #eat ur es t&at led us to identi#.ing a
class o# 10 di##erent le2ical cat egori es in Englis& are: O L/) Su P< O L/)
6 P< O L/) Comp P< O L/) et P!
2! "esides t&e s.nt act i c #eat ur es o# LC identi#icati on, %e can also rel.
on semant i c #eat ur es as %ell as on in#lectional $ariation!
7emant i c al l y , nouns denot e o1Aect s o# t&e real %orld (or names), %&ile
$er1s denot e st at es and e$ent s ( be, exist , run, live, die , etc!)!
+dAecti$es denot e proper ti es (tall, high, good, bad etc!), preposi tions
e2pr es s %a.s o# orient at i on in space and/ or time ( in, on, out, during,
bef ore, aft er , etc!)
In#lectional $ari ation and in#lectional mar;er s (#unctional cat egori es,
e! g! case, num1er , tens e etc!)! T&e act ual morp&ol ogical c&ange o#
#orm o# a le2ical cat egor . is made possi1l e t&roug& in#lectional
$ari ation, 1. addition o# some in#lectional mar;er to t&e respect i $e LC!
In#lectional $ari ation set s out t&e paradi gmat i c set s p# LCs, suc& as: >:
go, going, goes, went , gone !
R
D! In&er ent $s! cont e2t ual cat egori es
In&er ent #eat ur es are t&os e morp&ol ogical #eat ur es t&at de#ine a cert ai n
LC, #or inst ance num1er is an in&er ent #eat ur e #or nouns, and it is a
cont e2t ual #eat ur e #or t&e $er1, in:
(1 ) T&e girls go/ Mgoes to sc&ool e$er. da.!
"I"LI658+7-S:
I! Ste#anes cu, I!: Englis& 'orp&olog., $ol! 2, 1(RR, T="
II! ut escu) Coli1an, T! : +spect s o# Englis& 'orp&olog., 2000,
Edit! 9undati ei Romani a de Maine, "ucures ti!
III! "aciu, I (2004)! : 9unctional Cat egori es in Englis&, >ol! I:
0ominal Cat egori es, E="
(
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