The Superstable Marker as an Indicator of Categorial Weakness?
-
Antje Dammel
and
Damaris Nübling
Abstract
In this article we examine and “exapt” Wurzel's concept of superstable markers in an innovative manner. We develop an extended view of superstability through a critical discussion of Wurzel's original definition and the status of marker-superstability versus allomorphy in Natural Morphology: As we understand it, superstability is – above and beyond a step towards uniformity – mainly a symptom for the weakening of the category affected (cf. 1., 2. and 4.). This view is exemplified in four short case studies on superstability in different grammatical categories of four Germanic languages: genitive case in Mainland Scandinavian and English (3.1), plural formation in Dutch (3.2), second person singular ending -st in German (3.3), and ablaut generalisation in Luxembourgish (3.4).
© Walter de Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction: Natural Morphology
- How to Live Naturally and not be Bothered by Economy
- Productivity of the Weak Verbs in Romanian
- On the Typology of Inflection Class Systems
- On Spanish Verb Inflection
- The Superstable Marker as an Indicator of Categorial Weakness?
- Case Before Gender in the Acquisition of German
- Crossing Form and Function: First and Second Person Plural Imperatives in the Dialect of Mesocco
- Lexical Blends: Functionally Tuning the Transparency of Complex Words
- Libri: Publications received — Publications reçues — Eingelaufene Literatur
Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction: Natural Morphology
- How to Live Naturally and not be Bothered by Economy
- Productivity of the Weak Verbs in Romanian
- On the Typology of Inflection Class Systems
- On Spanish Verb Inflection
- The Superstable Marker as an Indicator of Categorial Weakness?
- Case Before Gender in the Acquisition of German
- Crossing Form and Function: First and Second Person Plural Imperatives in the Dialect of Mesocco
- Lexical Blends: Functionally Tuning the Transparency of Complex Words
- Libri: Publications received — Publications reçues — Eingelaufene Literatur
