German plural doublets with and without meaning differentiation
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Karlheinz Mörth
Abstract
This contribution studies the synchrony and diachrony of German plural variants. Plural doublets in the sense of overabundance must be restricted to variants with the same meaning used by one and the same speech community. But there is a preference for distinctiveness which assigns different pragmatic or semantic meanings to variants. This includes also a preference for iconic relationships between form and meaning. The assumption of a preference for biuniqueness appears to allow greater generalizations than the ideal of canonical paradigm forms.
Abstract
This contribution studies the synchrony and diachrony of German plural variants. Plural doublets in the sense of overabundance must be restricted to variants with the same meaning used by one and the same speech community. But there is a preference for distinctiveness which assigns different pragmatic or semantic meanings to variants. This includes also a preference for iconic relationships between form and meaning. The assumption of a preference for biuniqueness appears to allow greater generalizations than the ideal of canonical paradigm forms.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
-
Editors’ introduction
- Morphology and meaning 3
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Plenary papers
- Roots, concepts, and word structure 49
- Between word formation and meaning change 71
- Indirect coding 97
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Section papers
- Diachrony and the polysemy of derivational affixes 127
- Possessive compounds in Slavic and the Principle of Integrated Meronymy 141
- Relation diversity and ease of processing for opaque and transparent English compounds 153
- Inflection vs. derivation 163
- Discrepancy between form and meaning in word-formation 177
- Compounds vs. phrases 191
- Semantic transparency, compounding, and the nature of independent variables 205
- The layering of form and meaning in creole word-formation 223
- Semantic headedness and categorization of - cum - compounds 239
- German plural doublets with and without meaning differentiation 249
- On the form and meaning of double noun incorporation 259
- Tuning morphosemantic transparency by shortening 275
- Root transparency and the morphology-meaning interface 289
- Mimetic verbs and meaning 303
- Mismatch verbs 315
- The canonical function of the deponent verbs in modern Greek 331
- Language index 345
- Subject index 347
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
-
Editors’ introduction
- Morphology and meaning 3
-
Plenary papers
- Roots, concepts, and word structure 49
- Between word formation and meaning change 71
- Indirect coding 97
-
Section papers
- Diachrony and the polysemy of derivational affixes 127
- Possessive compounds in Slavic and the Principle of Integrated Meronymy 141
- Relation diversity and ease of processing for opaque and transparent English compounds 153
- Inflection vs. derivation 163
- Discrepancy between form and meaning in word-formation 177
- Compounds vs. phrases 191
- Semantic transparency, compounding, and the nature of independent variables 205
- The layering of form and meaning in creole word-formation 223
- Semantic headedness and categorization of - cum - compounds 239
- German plural doublets with and without meaning differentiation 249
- On the form and meaning of double noun incorporation 259
- Tuning morphosemantic transparency by shortening 275
- Root transparency and the morphology-meaning interface 289
- Mimetic verbs and meaning 303
- Mismatch verbs 315
- The canonical function of the deponent verbs in modern Greek 331
- Language index 345
- Subject index 347
