Week 6/7 - MORPHOLOGY + Allomorphy

Question 1

Morphology + Morpheme definition

Answer 1

analysis of words into meangingful elements

un+read+able
walk+ing

MORPHEME: word/part of word which cannot be further divided into smaller units each w own meaning
-ING, READ, UN-, WALK, etc

Question 2

How can we identify morphemes

Answer 2

Comparing across words:

• Same part of FORM of words
• Same contribution to MEANING of word

Question 3

Allomorphs

Answer 3

Variant forms of a morpheme

• diff according to context
• typically in complementary distribution

We say there is an ALTERNATION between the allomorphs

Question 4

Types of Allomorph conditioning:

Answer 4

LEXICAL CONDITIONING: when the allomorph depends of different forms/classes of lexeme (eg diff classes of verb lexeme)

PHONOLOGICAL CONDITIONING: when the allomorph is determined by phonological aspects of the environment

Question 5

How to list relationship between allomorphs

Answer 5

NO PHONOLOGICAL RELATEDNESS?
- list allomorphs in lexicon entry for that morpheme
- EG
PAST 
forms: 
/ca/ with Class A verb roots 
/ŋu/ with Class B verb roots 
meaning: event/state in past

IF PHONOLOGICALLY RELATED?
- can describe HOW phon rel
eg. /ca/ /ʈa/ /ta/
   > all same vowel /a/
   > all stop phoneme, diff places of articulation
- this is SEGMENTAL ALTERNATION

SPECIFIC SEGMENTAL ALTERATIONS: /t/ ~ /ʈ/ ~ /c/

Question 6

Conditioning

Answer 6

1. determine what Seg Altern are
2. Investigate CONDITIONS OCCUR IN

most likely due to: assimilation

• place
• manner
• full

Question 7

Assimilation definition

Answer 7

process or pattern where one segment shares one or more phonetic properties with a neighbouring segment. ie it becomes the same or more similar.

Question 8

English example of allomorphy

Answer 8

regular noun plural suffix
[s] [z] [əz]

s/z allophones of DIFF phonemes (bus/buzz) so:
diff in allomorphs is diff in phonemes.

Phonologically conditioned allomorphy:

• /s/ if preceding segment is voiceless
• /z/ if preceding segment is voiced
• except that /əz/ if preceding segment is one of /s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ/ (strident coronal)

we try explain phonolofical allomoprhy in terms of phonol structure in general in lang: possible segments, NOT just specific morpheme
here:
1. NO eng syll ends in /z/ after voicless seg,
2. NO eng syll end w 2 strident coronals

Question 9

name hypocoristics

Answer 9

chatfield - chats (s)
agnew - ags (z)
cashman - cashes (ez)

Question 10

Segmental Alternations

Answer 10

match up corresponding segments
analyse 2 alterNations btwn segments
/s/ ~ /z/
/ə/ ~ Ø

Question 11

Phonemic alterNation

Answer 11

generalised phonological pattern of alternation between phonemes which results in different allomorphs of a morpheme in different contexts.

Question 12

there can be allophones of noun morphemes - remember when analysing

Answer 12

hungarian example
analyse, characterise in terms of
- Obstruents (STOPS AND FRICATIVES as a group)
- voicing

eg rule: An obstruent is voiced if it is followed by a voiced obstruent

Question 13

Phonological processes

Answer 13

phonemic alternations can be analysed as resulting from phonolical processes
/s/ ~ /z/
/ə/ ~ Ø - rule: Insert /ə/ where there would otherwise be two strident coronals in a row at the end of a syllable.

• can be understood in any word word in eng

Question 14

Underlying form

Answer 14

process implies underlying form - basic form of plural with NO /ə/

basic form of eng morpheme
NOUN PLURAL
form /z/
meaning: PLURAL

Question 15

general principle of morphological analysis in 2 components

Answer 15

1. A single basic form of each morpheme in the lexicon: the UNDERLYING form aka underlying representation (UR)

+++++PLUS+++++

2. One or more general phonological PROCESSES that are expressed rigorously as rules ////operate in terms of phonetic properties////.

Question 16

how referring to morphemes

?

Answer 16

Meta-linguistic LABEL
- used for convenience
- often rep UPPERCASE in attempt to distinguish from standard written rep in lang
CAT, DOG, RE-

Question 17

UNIQUE UNDERLIER PRINCIPLE

Answer 17

wherever plausible, allomorphy RESULT OF
- SINGLE UNDERLYING FORM of each MORPHEME
- MODIFIED by general phonological processes
> contexts
> not limited to specific morphemes
> express rigourously as rules
> Operate in terms of PHONETIC PROP

Question 18

COMPETING ANALYSES (which is underlying?)

Answer 18

1. What is? eg. is it voiced or voiceless? /s/ or /z/?
2. what phonoligical rules GIVEN specific UNDERLYING?

evaluating:

1. naturalness
2. simplicity
3. generality

Question 19

Naturalness

Answer 19

1. is phonological process PHONETICALLY MOTIVATED? eg. assimilation
2. is it COMMON in world’s languages? (not always)

Question 20

Simplicity

Answer 20

An analysis with fewer, simpler rules is preferred over one with more and/or more complex rules

Question 21

Generality

Answer 21

general process applies to given sequence of segments whenever arises - NOT just spec. morpheme

eg ENG not 2 strident coronals at end of syllable