Typology Flashcards
Linguistic Typology
a classification of languages according to their structural types
The index of Synthesis
This index defines a continuum from isolating languages at one extreme, to highly polysynthetic languages at the other
An isolating language
a strictly isolating language is one in which every word consists of one and only one morpheme.
English is a relatively isolating language, although not as isolating as Mandarin
The index of fusion
the degree to which units of meanings are ‘fused’ into single morphemes
A fusional language
In a highly fusional language, one morpheme can simultaneously express several meanings
An agglutinative language
languages in which most morphemes express only one meaning.
English is a relatively agglutinative language
For example in:
anti-dis-establish-ment-ari-an-ism
A morpheme
the smallest linguistic unit that can be used to express meaning
Examples of agglutinative forms in English
- She placed (place+ed) the call
- happier (happy+er)
- happiest (happy+est)
Examples of fusional forms in English
plural forms of some nouns: (mouse - mice), (man - men)
past forms of some irregular verbs: She ‘dug’ out her phone
A clause
- a clause is used to express a complete thought.
- a clause = NP (subject) + VP (predicating element).
subject NP
“the wicked old witch”
“this show”
predicating element VP
“eats chocolate”
“does nothing for me!”
two groups of languages: OV and VO
- other languages allow other orders, for example SOV, VSO, etc
- English is a SVO language
English as a VO language
- has prepositions which precede NPs : “under a tree”
- possessor noun follows the possessed noun: “The horn of the unicorn” (the reverse is also possible)
- a modifier precedes a noun in an NP: “an unexpected complication”
Lexical (semantic) typology
has to do with how meaning components are packaged into lexical words.
For example: verbs of motion (run, walk etc)
Manner and motion in English verbs
English verbs of motion often involve an indication of the manner of motion
For example: Margulis then swam (motion+manner) to the surface.
Causation (cause and effect) in English verbs
one verb expresses an idea (effect) and another verb that expresses the same idea with the added notion of cause
(see vs. show)
- He saw the light
-The policeman showed him the light. (show=cause to see)
Causative verbs
- verbs that show the reason that something happened
Examples of causative verbs
- We ‘raised’ the fallen tree.
- The kid ‘dropped’ the shopping bag.
- The farmer ‘grows’ cacti.
- Curiosity ‘killed’ the cat.
