The Syntax-Morphology Interface: A Study of Syncretism
Sep 2005 · Cambridge Studies in Linguistics Book 109 · Cambridge University Press
Ebook
303
Pages
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About this ebook
Syncretism - where a single form serves two or more morphosyntactic functions - is a persistent problem at the syntax-morphology interface. It results from a 'mismatch' whereby the syntax of a language makes a particular distinction but the morphology does not. This pioneering book provides a 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 recognised: 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. This book 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.
About the author
Matthew Baerman is Research Fellow in Linguistics at the University of Surrey.
Dunstan Brown investigates autonomous morphology, morphology-syntax interaction, and typology. His recent work has focused on describing and understanding different aspects of morphological complexity. After graduating with a BA in Modern Languages and a Master of Linguistics from the University of Manchester, he completed a PhD in Linguistics at the University of Surrey and worked there for many years before taking up a 50th Anniversary Chair at the University of York in 2012.
Greville G. Corbett is Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at the University of Surrey.
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