323 Morphology The Structure of Words 5. Morphological Trees (This page last updated 26 NO 06)

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323 MorphologyThe Structure of Words5.
Morphological Trees(This page last updated 26 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 NN doghouse AN
blackbear VN runway NA
fatfree NV housesit AA bluegreen NN
compounds are productive, but the others seem to
be less productive. Lexical compounds are
formed from two or more stems, 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
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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 DOABLE. 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
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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
HOOD Group, State
N,-Root, Suffix, N-host
/H?D/
ABLE (Ability
A, -Root, Suffix, V-host,
/EBL/
ER agent, instrument
N, -Root, Suffix, V-host
/R/
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 re-bel
in-tend, con-tend, pre-tend, at-tend. 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
V, -Lexical
/H?D/
BEL
V, -Lexical
/B?L/
TEND
V, -Lexical
/T?ND/
The prefix RE, which is adjoined to two of the
above bases ,has the following entry
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5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent
Relations
RE
V, -Root, Prefix, V-host
/RI/
Occasionally, the base may show a morphophonemic
alternation E.g. de-stroy, de-struc-t-ion
re-duce, re-duc-t-ion. The lexical entry for
DUCE/DUC is less complex
DUC
V, Root, -Lexical
/DU/ U /DUS/, /?K/
STRUC
V, Root, -Lexical
STROJ OJ /OJ/ /DESTR___/, /?K/
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5.3 Hierarchical Structure and Head Dependent
Relations
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. Cant lt- can not wont lt- will
not Ill lt- I will hed lt- he would. E.g. See
ya (phonologically one word) lt- see you, seeem
lt- see him or lt- see them. E.g. His fathers
house the Queen of Englands hat.