Week 10 Flashcards by Emmely Goossens

Allomorphs (plural)

Morphemes (words) may have variant pronunciations depending on the context in which they occur.

Cats > /s/
Dogs > /z/
Houses > /iz/

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Wug test

Jean Berko’s wug test was developed to test at what age children can productively apply English regular inflection to new words.

The test demonstrates that English speakers can create new words using regular word formation rules, rather than relying on hearing and memorising all inflectional forms.

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Allomorphs (past tense)

Missed > /t/
Loved > /d/
Handed > /id/

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Inflectional variants

Have and having are inflectional variants of a more basic have (which is a basic form, called a lexeme).

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Which form does ‘have’ take when it occurs after a model verb?

It takes the basic form.

I will have what you’re having.

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Which form does ‘have’ take when it occurs after a progressive auxiliary verb?

It becomes a progressive participle; having.

I’ll have with you’re having.

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Perfect participle form

Eat > eaten (which is an example of inflection)

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What is an example of an inflection?

When following the perfect auxiliary has, the verb ‘eat’ must occur in the perfect participle form: eaten.

Pooh has eaten all the honey.

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What is an example of derivation?

The formation of agentive nouns

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Agentive nouns

Adding -er, -or, -ar

Doctor, teacher, actor, dancer.

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Inflection (word examples)

Sings
Kicked
Songs

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Which processes fall under the umbrella of word-formation?

Inflection
Lexeme formation
• Derivation
• Compounding

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Derivation (word examples)

Speaker
Hopeless
Warmth

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Compounding (word examples)

Post-man
Swear-word
Red-hot

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Differences inflection and derivation

Inflection is required by grammatical context, derivation is not
Inflection gives different forms of the same lexeme, derivation gives a new lexeme
Inflection has no change in lexeme’s category, derivation does have change
Inflection has no change in lexical meaning, derivation does have change in lexical meaning
Inflection (usually) has a regular grammatical meaning, irregular meaning is possible in derivation
Inflection is productive, derivation can be both

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Word classes that contain inflection

Verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions

Verbal inflection (regular verbs)

Lexeme: kick
Inflectional variants: kick, kicks, kicked, kicking

! Regular verbs have 4 inflectional variants

How many inflectional variants do regular verbs have?

Verbal inflection (irregular verbs)

Lexeme: eat
Inflectional variants: eat, eats, ate, eaten, eating

! Irregular verbs can have five inflectional variants

How many inflectional variants can irregular verbs have?

Irregular verbs can have five inflectional variants.

Syncretism + example

When the same inflectional variant of a lexeme serves different functions (for example, can occur as a perfect participle and passive participle).

Lexeme: kick
Inflectional variant: kicked

The child kicked the ball (PAST)
She has kicked the ball (PERF. PART.)
The ball was kicked (PASSIVE PART.)

Which participles are always syncretic in English?

Perfect participle and passive participle.

Perfect participle

Has kicked
Has seen
Has touched
Has caught

Passive participle

Was kicked
Was seen
Was touched
Was caught

Present plural (syncretism)

We/you/they kick the ball.

Present non-3rd singular (syncretism)

I/you kick the ball.

Infinitive (syncretism)

She may kick the ball.

Imperative (syncretism)

Kick the ball!

Verbs with irregular inflection

1. Sing 2. Eat 3. Catch 4. Buy 5. Come 6. Beat 7. Cut

Suppletion + example

When a lexeme is represented by two roots. **Go** is represented by two roots, go and went. Lexeme: go Present: go, goes Past: went Participle: gone

Plural formation

Regular: dogs > dogs Voicing: leaf > leaves, mouth > mouths Ablaut: foot > feet -en: ox > oxen -ren: child > children Ø: sheep > sheep, deer > deer Foreign: fungus > fungi, criterion > criteria

Noun inflection in OE

In Old English, nouns inflected not just for number but also case and gender. ! This has been lost, except in pronouns.

In which grammatical system do case and gender distinctions (pronominal inflection) still occur?

In the pronoun system. I/me She/her

Which forms of adjectives are treated as adjectival inflection? And what is the reason for this?

The **positive**, **comparative** and **superlative** forms of adjectives are also usually treated as inflectional variants. The reason for this is that there are contexts in which the choice is grammatically conditioned; your room is a lot cleaner *than* mine.

What are periphrastic comparatives in adjectival inflection? And what is the additional rule?

Adding ‘more’ to create a comparative. **Furious**: Furious (positive) More furious (comparative) **Interesting**: Interesting (positive) More interesting (comparative) This is the case for adjectives with **more than two syllables**!

Adjectives with irregular, suppletive, comparative and superlative forms

GOOD: Good, better, best BAD: Bad, worst, worse

What are the inflectional variants of adjectives?

Positive, comparative and superlative

What are the inflectional variants of nouns?

Singular and plural

What are the inflectional variants of verbs?

1. Present 3sg 2. Past 3. Perfect & passive participle 4. Progressive participle 5. Basic form