Week 3 Flashcards
Lexeme
A word with a distinct meaning.
inflection
A process that changes the grammatical function of a lexeme through the expression of properties such as number, gender, case and tense.
derivation
Creates new lexemes through the addition of morphemes to a base form
compounding
Creates new lexemes by bringing two or more lexemes together.
Name the three different ways to construct complex words from morphemes:
1) Inflection
2) Derivation
3) Compounding
Name two competing accounts of how we represent past tense morphology:
1) single-route
2) dual-route
Single-route approach
Argues that all past-tense forms are learned in the same way.
Dual-route approach
Argues that two systems are required to learn all past-tense forms: grammar and the lexicon.
What does it mean when we say ‘The past tense inflection is phonologically conditioned’?
The final phoneme of the root form of the word determines the past tense inflection: is it voiced or voiceless?
What group provides the best single-route accounts?
Connectionists
What is the best known dual-route account?
the Words and Rules theory
Lexical entry
The facts about each word that are stored in the mind: information about meaning, pronunciation and grammatical category.
What verbs are always regular?
Those that end with an unvoiced fricative.
OR
Overregularisation Error
How does the Words and Rules theory deal with overregularisation errors?
They propose a blocking mechanism. A signal from the lexicon surpresses the use of the rule for irregular verbs.
Name three problems of the Words and Rules theory:
1) Past tense regular rule does not apply equally to each regular verb.
2) High frequency regular verbs seem to behave like irregular verbs.
3) The blocking hypothesis is not well supported.
Connectionist models
Computer simulations that aim to imitate the language learning behaviours of the child.
What are 4 problems of the connectionist model?
1) the presence of a teacher
2) homophones
3) low frequency/unusual verbs
4) the course of the U-shaped development
What are the two parts of the compound?
1) head
2) modifier
What is the function of the head in a compound?
It determines the meaning and grammatical category.
What determines the interpretation of a compound?
The thematic relationship between the head and the modifier.
What does children’s creativity show us?
That children go beyond simple memorising and producing what they have heard before
What is the 1st level in the Level Morphology by Kiparsky?
All irregularity: unproductive or semantically unpredictable derivations, irregular inflections and phonological effects on the base form.
What is level 2 in the level Morphology by Kiparsky?
Productive and semantically predictable derivation
What is level 3 in the Level Morphology by Kiparsky?
The regular inflection rules.
onomatopoeia
When the phonological aspect of the word is associated with the sound that it describes.
What was the research of Jean Berko all about?
Whether or not children know the production rules for plurals, and if there is a progression from simpler, regular rules to complex, irregular rules.
How did Jean Berko test the morphological production rules use?
He used nonsense words and pictures accompanying them. Children were asked to form plurals, past tense etc. when they got presented with the standard nonsense word.
What were the conclusions of Jean Berko’s research?
Children in preschool and firstgrade operate on clear morphological rules, boys and girls alike. They could also explain compound consituents.
