Chapter 5. Co-patterns, subpatterns and conflicting generalizations in Hungarian vowel harmony
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Péter Rebrus
Abstract
In this paper we examine coexisting patterns of variation in Hungarian front/back harmony conditioned by prosodic structure (the Polysyllabic Split), locality (the Count Effect), morphological structure/uniformity (Harmonic Uniformity) and the paradigmatic property of whether a suffix is harmonically alternating or harmonically invariant (Sequential Bias). We show that these patterns of harmony may be in conflict and some prevail over the others in environments of conflict. We argue for an approach that employs wide-scope generalisations holding over all the relevant forms where the conflict is resolved by specificity: when in conflict, the more specific ones win.
Abstract
In this paper we examine coexisting patterns of variation in Hungarian front/back harmony conditioned by prosodic structure (the Polysyllabic Split), locality (the Count Effect), morphological structure/uniformity (Harmonic Uniformity) and the paradigmatic property of whether a suffix is harmonically alternating or harmonically invariant (Sequential Bias). We show that these patterns of harmony may be in conflict and some prevail over the others in environments of conflict. We argue for an approach that employs wide-scope generalisations holding over all the relevant forms where the conflict is resolved by specificity: when in conflict, the more specific ones win.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Chapter 1. Internal-scope taking arguments in the information structure of deverbal nominals in Hungarian 1
- Chapter 2. Structural ambiguity and case assignment in Hungarian clausal and phrasal comparatives 35
- Chapter 3. Two positions for verbal modifiers 65
- Chapter 4. A representational account of vowel harmony in terms of variable elements and licensing 95
- Chapter 5. Co-patterns, subpatterns and conflicting generalizations in Hungarian vowel harmony 135
- Chapter 6. Measure constructions in Hungarian and the semantics of the -nyi suffix 157
- Chapter 7. Hungarian classifier constructions, plurality and the mass–count distinction 183
- Chapter 8. Focus and quantifier scope 209
- Chapter 9. *VV in Hungarian 239
- Index 253
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Chapter 1. Internal-scope taking arguments in the information structure of deverbal nominals in Hungarian 1
- Chapter 2. Structural ambiguity and case assignment in Hungarian clausal and phrasal comparatives 35
- Chapter 3. Two positions for verbal modifiers 65
- Chapter 4. A representational account of vowel harmony in terms of variable elements and licensing 95
- Chapter 5. Co-patterns, subpatterns and conflicting generalizations in Hungarian vowel harmony 135
- Chapter 6. Measure constructions in Hungarian and the semantics of the -nyi suffix 157
- Chapter 7. Hungarian classifier constructions, plurality and the mass–count distinction 183
- Chapter 8. Focus and quantifier scope 209
- Chapter 9. *VV in Hungarian 239
- Index 253
