Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 3. Derivational paradigms in diachrony and comparison
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 3. Derivational paradigms in diachrony and comparison

  • Johanna Nichols
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
Paradigm Change
This chapter is in the book Paradigm Change

Abstract

Wordlists used for subgrouping and long-range comparison under-utilize the verbal lexicon, and comparative work of all kinds makes more use of lexical roots and inflectional morphology than word formation. This chapter is a first attempt to utilize derivational morphology of verbs, in particular typologies of derivational processes and derivational bases, in subgrouping and external comparison of several language families of Eurasia. The basic method has four steps: set up a closed list of well-defined lexemes; set up a derivational type or paradigm or space and situate each word in that paradigm; determine which, if any, of the words or word forms in the paradigm is basic; and utilize what can be known about how the base determines the evolution of the whole set. It turns out that properties of the base plus the structure of the paradigm, together with some minimal information about the cognacy and/or segmental structure of the root, can yield a surprisingly good subgrouping from a small wordlist. Addition of this approach to the usual set of comparative procedures could increase the rigor of external comparison.

Abstract

Wordlists used for subgrouping and long-range comparison under-utilize the verbal lexicon, and comparative work of all kinds makes more use of lexical roots and inflectional morphology than word formation. This chapter is a first attempt to utilize derivational morphology of verbs, in particular typologies of derivational processes and derivational bases, in subgrouping and external comparison of several language families of Eurasia. The basic method has four steps: set up a closed list of well-defined lexemes; set up a derivational type or paradigm or space and situate each word in that paradigm; determine which, if any, of the words or word forms in the paradigm is basic; and utilize what can be known about how the base determines the evolution of the whole set. It turns out that properties of the base plus the structure of the paradigm, together with some minimal information about the cognacy and/or segmental structure of the root, can yield a surprisingly good subgrouping from a small wordlist. Addition of this approach to the usual set of comparative procedures could increase the rigor of external comparison.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of tables ix
  4. List of figures xv
  5. List of contributors xvii
  6. Acknowledgements xix
  7. Chapter 1. When paradigms change 1
  8. Part I. Paradigm change
  9. Chapter 2. On the strength of morphological paradigms 23
  10. Chapter 3. Derivational paradigms in diachrony and comparison 61
  11. Chapter 4. On arguing from diachrony for paradigms 89
  12. Chapter 5. Reconstructing the Niger-Congo Verb Extension Paradigm 103
  13. Part II. The continuation of paradigms
  14. Chapter 6. Perceived formal and functional equivalence 129
  15. Chapter 7. Comparative consequences of the tongue root harmony analysis for proto-Tungusic, proto-Mongolic, and proto-Korean 141
  16. Chapter 8. Old Japanese bigrade paradigms and Korean passives and causatives 177
  17. Chapter 9. The Japanese inflectional paradigm in a Transeurasian perspective 197
  18. Part III. The innovation of paradigms
  19. Chapter 10. A Yakut copy of a Tungusic viewpoint aspect paradigm 235
  20. Chapter 11. Amdo Altaic directives and comparatives based on the verb ‘to see’ 243
  21. Chapter 12. Innovations and archaisms in Siberian Turkic spatial case paradigms 257
  22. Chapter 13. Paradigm copying in Tungusic 287
  23. Chapter 14. Ural-Altaic 311
  24. Language index 337
  25. Subject index 343
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.161.08nic

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of tables ix
  4. List of figures xv
  5. List of contributors xvii
  6. Acknowledgements xix
  7. Chapter 1. When paradigms change 1
  8. Part I. Paradigm change
  9. Chapter 2. On the strength of morphological paradigms 23
  10. Chapter 3. Derivational paradigms in diachrony and comparison 61
  11. Chapter 4. On arguing from diachrony for paradigms 89
  12. Chapter 5. Reconstructing the Niger-Congo Verb Extension Paradigm 103
  13. Part II. The continuation of paradigms
  14. Chapter 6. Perceived formal and functional equivalence 129
  15. Chapter 7. Comparative consequences of the tongue root harmony analysis for proto-Tungusic, proto-Mongolic, and proto-Korean 141
  16. Chapter 8. Old Japanese bigrade paradigms and Korean passives and causatives 177
  17. Chapter 9. The Japanese inflectional paradigm in a Transeurasian perspective 197
  18. Part III. The innovation of paradigms
  19. Chapter 10. A Yakut copy of a Tungusic viewpoint aspect paradigm 235
  20. Chapter 11. Amdo Altaic directives and comparatives based on the verb ‘to see’ 243
  21. Chapter 12. Innovations and archaisms in Siberian Turkic spatial case paradigms 257
  22. Chapter 13. Paradigm copying in Tungusic 287
  23. Chapter 14. Ural-Altaic 311
  24. Language index 337
  25. Subject index 343
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 9.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.161.08nic/html
Scroll to top button