First language acquisition of compounds
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Wolfgang U. Dressler
Abstract
This chapter discusses early phases of first language acquisition of compounds in German based on longitudinal data of two Austrian children and compares these data to results on compound acquisition in other languages. The first compounds to emerge in German (simultaneously with the emergence of noun and verb inflection and of diminutives) were subordinate and endocentric two-member noun-noun compounds without linking elements. The first correct linking element which emerged later on is -n after word-final schwa of the first member. Order of emergence of compound patterns can be related to factors such as frequency, productivity, morphotactic and morphosemantic transparency. Left-headed and exocentric compounds had not yet emerged in our child speech corpora, and only one coordinate compound appeared.
Abstract
This chapter discusses early phases of first language acquisition of compounds in German based on longitudinal data of two Austrian children and compares these data to results on compound acquisition in other languages. The first compounds to emerge in German (simultaneously with the emergence of noun and verb inflection and of diminutives) were subordinate and endocentric two-member noun-noun compounds without linking elements. The first correct linking element which emerged later on is -n after word-final schwa of the first member. Order of emergence of compound patterns can be related to factors such as frequency, productivity, morphotactic and morphosemantic transparency. Left-headed and exocentric compounds had not yet emerged in our child speech corpora, and only one coordinate compound appeared.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Why compounding? 1
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Section 1. Delimiting the field
- The role of syntax and morphology in compounding 21
- Constraints on compounds and incorporation 37
- Compounding versus derivation 57
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Section 2. At the core of compounding
- Units in compounding 77
- Compound construction: Schemas or analogy? 93
- The head in compounding 109
- On the lexical semantics of compounds 127
- The phonology of compounds 145
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Section 3. Typology and types of compounds
- The typology of exocentric compounding 167
- Coordination in compounding 177
- Parasynthetic compounds 199
- Synthetic compounds 219
- Corpus data and theoretical implications 237
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Section 4. Quantitative and psycholinguistic aspects of compounding
- Frequency effects in compound processing 257
- Computational issues in compound processing 271
- Relational competition during compound interpretation 287
- Sign languages and compounding 301
- First language acquisition of compounds 323
- List of abbreviations 345
- Master list of references 349
- Language index 377
- Subject index 379
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Why compounding? 1
-
Section 1. Delimiting the field
- The role of syntax and morphology in compounding 21
- Constraints on compounds and incorporation 37
- Compounding versus derivation 57
-
Section 2. At the core of compounding
- Units in compounding 77
- Compound construction: Schemas or analogy? 93
- The head in compounding 109
- On the lexical semantics of compounds 127
- The phonology of compounds 145
-
Section 3. Typology and types of compounds
- The typology of exocentric compounding 167
- Coordination in compounding 177
- Parasynthetic compounds 199
- Synthetic compounds 219
- Corpus data and theoretical implications 237
-
Section 4. Quantitative and psycholinguistic aspects of compounding
- Frequency effects in compound processing 257
- Computational issues in compound processing 271
- Relational competition during compound interpretation 287
- Sign languages and compounding 301
- First language acquisition of compounds 323
- List of abbreviations 345
- Master list of references 349
- Language index 377
- Subject index 379
