Introduction to English Linguistics (I)

Professor Seongha Rhee

srhee@hufs.ac.kr

Morphology (2)

1. The Hierarchical Structure of Words

2. Rule Productivity

3. Exceptions and Suppletions

4. Lexical Gaps

5. Other Morphological Process

6. “Pullet Surprises”

7. Sign Language Morphology

8. Morphological Analysis

Ch. 1. Morphology (2) (53-65)

Hierarchy

1. The Hierarchical Structure of Words

• Morphemes are added in a fixed order.

unsystematic

unsystematically

Rule 1: Noun + actic → Adjective "systematic"

Rule 2: un + Adjective → Adjective "unsystematic"

Rule 3: Adjective + al → Adjective "unsystematical"

Rule 4: Adjective + ly → Adverb "unsystematically"

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*unsystem

*un- +Noun (There is no rule like this in English.)

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refinalizes

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cf. unlockable

(i) “not able to be locked” (ii) “able to be unlocked”

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2. Rule Productivity

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Productive derivational morphemes

• -able can be conjoined with any verb

to derive an adjective.

acceptable, laughable, passable,

changeable, breathable, adaptable...

downloadable, faxable...

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• un-

• un- is very productive.

unafraid, unfit, un-American...

unbelievable, unpickupable...

• see, however, *unsad, *unbrave, *unobvious...

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• un- is most productive for adjectives

derived from verbs

unenlightened, unsimplified,

uncharacterized, unauthorized,

undistinguished...

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• un- is usually acceptable with

polysyllabic words

*unbig, *ungreat, *unred, *unsad,

*unsmall, *untall

(cf. unfit, uncool, unread...)

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• -er is productive.

examiner, exam-taker, analyzer, lover, hunter...

(cf. *chairer...)

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less productive derivational morphemes

-ity sincerity (< sincere)

-th warmth (< warm)

-en moisten (< moist)

-let piglet (< pig)

-ling sapling (< sap)

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• Meanings are usually predictable.

pre-, dis-, re-…

-ness, -able, -ism…, -er

• Meanings can be unpredictable.

unloosen "loosen, let loose"

unrip "rip, undo by ripping"

undo "reverse doing"

untread "go back through in the same steps"

unearth "dig up"

unfrock "deprive (a cleric) of ecclesiastic rank"

unnerve "fluster"

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3. Exceptions and Suppletions

child/children, man/men, sheep/sheep,

criterion/criteria... go/went

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• Exceptions must be stored in the lexicon

as suppletive forms

• zero-form: hit (past), sheep (plural)...

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4. Lexical Gaps

• gap

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Baby Birth Card!

Congratulations!

Arrival Check-list!

√ 혁 ? 형

√ 현 ? 혖

? 혇 ? 혗

? 혈 ? 혘

? 혐 ? 혙

? 협 ? 혚

? 혓 ? 혛

• How about?

• How about:

• I’m gonna eat a spronta for lunch.

• I’m gonna eat a spkonta for lunch.

• I’m gonna eat a psktlbkadz for luch.

• lexical gaps = accidental gaps

• Accidental gaps are well-formed but non-existing words.

blick, slarm, krobe...

cf. *bnick

• Speakers can distinguish between impossible words

(*unsystem, *needlessity..)

and possible but nonexisting words

(curiouser, linguisticism, antiquify...).

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>> This is evidence for:

The morphological component of our

mental grammar consists of not just

a lexicon but also of rules that enable

us to create and understand new

words, and to recognize possible and

impossible words.

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5. Other Morphological Processes

[Word from names (Eponyms)]

sandwich

(John Montagu)

1718-1792

robot

(Karel Čapek) 1920

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gargantuan

(François Rabelais 16c.)

jumbo... (1882, elephant

London Zoo)

[Back-formations]

peddler, hawk, edit, swindle, pea, enthuse, monokini (!), resurrect, preempt, televise...

Hawk:

“seize” > “hawk hunter” > “hunt with a hawk”

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[Compounds]

• diverse combinations:

bittersweet, headstrong, carryall, poorhouse, rainbow, pickpocket, highborn, spoonfeed, sleepwalk...

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• meaning of compounds:

blackboard, Redcoat, boathouse, cathouse...

jumping bean, falling star,

magnifying glass... vs. looking glass,

eating apple, laughing gas,

olive oil, peanut oil, baby oil

jack-in-a-box, turncoat, highbrow, bigwig, egghead, flatfoot, ...

• how about The University Health Center and The University Rape Center?

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• 멸치국수, 김치국수, 열무국수, 칼국수

• 해물칼국수, 조개칼국수, 손칼국수

• 해물짜장면, 삼선짜장면,

유니짜장면, 간짜장면,

쟁반짜장면, 사천짜장면

• universality of compounding:

cross-linguistically common and frequent

2013학년도한국외국어대학교주관전국영어전공자학점향상연합단결대회준비위원회상임이사선출규정집초안감수위원

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[Blends]

smog, motel, informatial, Podcast, urinalysis, chortle, cranapple, broasted, crocogator, ....

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[Abbreviations (clipping)]

nark, tec, telly (Br), prof, piano, gym, ad, bike, math, gas, phone, bus, van ...

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[Acronyms]

• NASA, UNESCO, UNICEF, radar, scuba, AIDS, ...

• MORF, FAQ, WYSIWYG, POP...

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6. “Pullet Surprises”

• She tried many reducing diets, but remained indefatigable.

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Word Student’s Definition Real Meaning

Deciduous Able to make up one’s mind Not everlasting

Longevity Being very tall Durability or long life

Fortuitous Well protected Unexpected

Gubernatorial To do with peanuts Related to governor

Bibliography Holy geography A collection of references

Adamant Pertaining to original sin Stubborn or strong

Diatribe Food for the whole clan Satirical criticism

Polyglot More than one glot Linguist / multilingual person

Gullible To do with sea birds Naive or innocent

Homogeneous Devoted to home life Uniform or identical

7. Sign Language Morphology

• Sign languages have root and affix morphemes, free and bound morphemes, lexical content and grammatical morphemes, derivational and inflectional morphemes, and morphological rules for their combination to form morphologically complex signs.

7. Morphological Analysis: Identifying Morphemes

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Thank you!