The Syntax-Morphology Interface: A Study of Syncretism

by Matthew Baerman , Dunstan Brown , Greville G. Corbett

• ISBN13: 9780521821810
• ISBN10: 0521821819
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-10-31
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This pioneering book provides a full-length study of inflectional syncretism, presenting a typology of its occurrence across a wide range of languages.

Table of Contents

Preface	xv
List of abbreviations and symbols	xvii
Introduction	1	(12)
History of the notion	3	(1)
Delimiting the notion of syncretism	4	(3)
Scope of the investigation	7	(2)
Typological methodology	7	(1)
Selection of forms	8	(1)
Accidental versus systematic homophony	9	(1)
Using this book	10	(3)
Supporting materials	10	(1)
Glossing conventions	11	(1)
Structure of the book	12	(1)
Characteristics of syncretism	13	(24)
Syncretic paradigms	13	(4)
Types	13	(4)
Implications	17	(1)
Domains of comparison	17	(6)
Morphological classes	17	(2)
Feature values	19	(4)
Morphological characteristics	23	(4)
A typology of interpretations	27	(8)
Syncretism as neutralization	28	(2)
Syncretism as uninflectedness	30	(3)
Canonical syncretism	33	(2)
Conclusion	35	(2)
Cross-linguistic typology of features	37	(89)
Case	38	(19)
Introduction	38	(2)
Types of case syncretism	40	(16)
Conclusion	56	(1)
Person	57	(18)
Introduction	57	(2)
Patterns of syncretism	59	(4)
Directional effects	63	(7)
Diachrony	70	(5)
Summary	75	(1)
Person syncretism in two-place verbs	75	(6)
Introduction	75	(1)
Syncretism of subject person	76	(3)
Syncretism of object person	79	(1)
Other patterns	80	(1)
Summary	81	(1)
Gender	81	(11)
Introduction	81	(1)
Gender and number	82	(1)
Smaller systems	83	(3)
Larger systems	86	(4)
Syncretism restricted by target	90	(1)
Summary	91	(1)
Number	92	(3)
Introduction	92	(1)
Values	93	(1)
Directionality	94	(1)
Summary	95	(1)
Tense-aspect-mood	95	(8)
Introduction	95	(1)
Affix suppression	96	(4)
Syncretic affixes	100	(1)
Compound systems	101	(2)
Summary	103	(1)
Polarity effects	103	(8)
Introduction	103	(2)
Morphological systematicity	105	(3)
Semantic systematicity	108	(3)
Summary	111	(1)
The interaction of features	111	(13)
Introduction	111	(1)
Syncretisms and their contexts	112	(1)
Nominal feature interactions	113	(1)
Typologies of interaction	113	(1)
Exploring interaction	114	(4)
Constraints on nominal features	118	(1)
Verbal feature interactions	119	(1)
Verbal paradigms	120	(1)
Exploring the verb data	121	(2)
Interpreting the generalisations	123	(1)
Number, case and gender on nominals	123	(1)
TAM and agreement on verbs	123	(1)
Summary	124	(1)
Conclusion	124	(2)
Formal representation	126	(45)
Introduction	126	(1)
Defining sets of values	126	(7)
Natural classes	126	(5)
Unnatural classes	131	(1)
A note on polarity effects	132	(1)
Symmetrical versus directional rules	133	(17)
Convergent bidirectional syncretism	136	(3)
Divergent bidirectional syncretism	139	(5)
Symmetrical versus directional rules: a summary	144	(1)
Ranked constraints as an alternative to directional syncretism	145	(5)
Possible constraints on syncretism	150	(16)
Variants on hierarchical structures	150	(1)
Carstairs (1987), Carstairs-McCarthy (1998a, b)	151	(9)
Impoverishment	160	(3)
Stump (2001) and Zwicky (2000)	163	(3)
Summary	166	(5)
Predictions and counter-examples	166	(3)
Towards a model of syncretism	169	(2)
Formal framework and case studies	171	(48)
Network Morphology and syncretism	172	(11)
Inferential-realizational theories and morphology	175	(2)
Default inheritance	177	(3)
Underspecification and semantic naturalness	180	(2)
Systematicity in Network Morphology	182	(1)
Case study 1: Dhaasanac	183	(3)
Case study 2: The Dalabon verbal system	186	(18)
The structure of the Dalabon intransitive paradigm	187	(1)
The Dalabon transitive paradigm and the inadequacy of underspecification	188	(6)
The Dalabon transitive paradigm: a generalized referral analysis	194	(5)
The verbal hierarchy	199	(1)
The shape of the verbal paradigm	200	(3)
Referral of 1 > 2SG to 3 > 2SG	203	(1)
Referral of 2 > 1 to 3 > 1	203	(1)
Dalabon: summing up	203	(1)
Case study 3: The Russian nominal system	204	(13)
Domains of syncretism	206	(1)
Phonologically determined `syncretism'	206	(1)
Lexically determined syncretism	206	(1)
Morphologically determined syncretism	207	(6)
Candidates for syntactically determined syncretism	213	(3)
Orthogonal specification of syncretism	216	(1)
Conclusion	217	(2)
Conclusion	219	(4)
Taking stock	219	(1)
Results	220	(1)
Consequences	221	(2)
Appendix 1: Case syncretism in the World Atlas of Language Structures sample	223	(5)
Appendix 2: Person syncretism in the World Atlas of Language Structures sample	228	(5)
Appendix 3: Syncretism in two-place verbs in the World Atlas of Language Structures corpus	233	(3)
Appendix 4: DATR fragment for Dhasaanac case study	236	(6)
Appendix 5: DATR fragment for Dalabon case study	242	(6)
Appendix 6: DATR fragment for Russian case study	248	(6)
References	254	(17)
Author index	271	(4)
Language index	275	(4)
Subject index	279

Excerpts

"This book provides the first full-length study of inflectional syncretism, presenting a typology of its occurrence across a wide range of languages. The implications of syncretism for the syntax-morphology interface have long been recognized: it argues either for an enriched model of feature structure (thereby preserving a direct link between function and form), or for the independence of morphological structure from syntactic structure. The Syntax-Morphology Interface presents a compelling argument for the autonomy of morphology, and the resulting analysis is illustrated in a series of formal case studies within Network Morphology. It will be welcomed by all linguists interested in the relation between words and the larger units of which they are a part."--BOOK JACKET.