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Syncretism in paradigm function morphology and distributed morphology

Abstract

In the development of morphological theory, restrictiveness and maximal empirical coverage of the facts must be carefully balanced. In this discussion chapter, I use the empirical phenomenon of syncretism to explore the restrictiveness/coverage dichotomy in two morphological theories: Distributed Morphology (DM) and Paradigm Function Morphology 2 (PFM2), drawing on Stump (this vol.) and Trommer (this vol.). As previous work has observed, the theories contrast in their approach to this dichotomy: DM tends towards restrictiveness, whereas PFM2 tends towards maximal empirical coverage. I show that syncretism is a useful tool for exploring the advantages and pitfalls of these positions, and I identify open questions for both theories whose answers would contribute to resolving this dichotomy.

Abstract

In the development of morphological theory, restrictiveness and maximal empirical coverage of the facts must be carefully balanced. In this discussion chapter, I use the empirical phenomenon of syncretism to explore the restrictiveness/coverage dichotomy in two morphological theories: Distributed Morphology (DM) and Paradigm Function Morphology 2 (PFM2), drawing on Stump (this vol.) and Trommer (this vol.). As previous work has observed, the theories contrast in their approach to this dichotomy: DM tends towards restrictiveness, whereas PFM2 tends towards maximal empirical coverage. I show that syncretism is a useful tool for exploring the advantages and pitfalls of these positions, and I identify open questions for both theories whose answers would contribute to resolving this dichotomy.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. About the Authors ix
  4. How are words related? 1
  5. Paradigms at the interface of a lexeme’s syntax and semantics with its inflectional morphology 27
  6. A postsyntactic morphome cookbook 59
  7. Discussion 1
  8. Syncretism in paradigm function morphology and distributed morphology 95
  9. Phase domains at PF 121
  10. The costs of zero-derived causativity in English 163
  11. Spans and words 201
  12. Discussion 2
  13. Building words 223
  14. Emergent morphology 237
  15. Morphology as an adaptive discriminative system 271
  16. Readjustment: Rejected? 303
  17. Towards a Restricted Realization Theory 343
  18. Discussion 3
  19. We do not need structuralist morphemes, but we do need constituent structure 387
  20. Inner and Outer morphology in Greek adjectival participles 431
  21. Re-evaluating exocentricity in word-formation 461
  22. Affix ordering in Optimal Construction Morphology 479
  23. On the interplay of facts and theory 513
  24. Discussion 4
  25. Editors’ note 537
  26. Index 541
Morphological Metatheory
This chapter is in the book Morphological Metatheory
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.229.04kra

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. About the Authors ix
  4. How are words related? 1
  5. Paradigms at the interface of a lexeme’s syntax and semantics with its inflectional morphology 27
  6. A postsyntactic morphome cookbook 59
  7. Discussion 1
  8. Syncretism in paradigm function morphology and distributed morphology 95
  9. Phase domains at PF 121
  10. The costs of zero-derived causativity in English 163
  11. Spans and words 201
  12. Discussion 2
  13. Building words 223
  14. Emergent morphology 237
  15. Morphology as an adaptive discriminative system 271
  16. Readjustment: Rejected? 303
  17. Towards a Restricted Realization Theory 343
  18. Discussion 3
  19. We do not need structuralist morphemes, but we do need constituent structure 387
  20. Inner and Outer morphology in Greek adjectival participles 431
  21. Re-evaluating exocentricity in word-formation 461
  22. Affix ordering in Optimal Construction Morphology 479
  23. On the interplay of facts and theory 513
  24. Discussion 4
  25. Editors’ note 537
  26. Index 541
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