Morphology:Morphology:Morphemes and Morphemes and

morphological analysismorphological analysis

Linguistics 400Linguistics 400

Winter 2010Winter 2010

OverviewOverview

Morphemes vs. wordsMorphemes vs. words

Morphological analysisMorphological analysis

Please turn off your cell phone

What is morphology?What is morphology?

Textbook definitionsTextbook definitions– ““the study of word making”the study of word making”– ““meaning relationships between words”meaning relationships between words”

WordsWords

• What is a word?What is a word?• Surrounded by “white space”. But:Surrounded by “white space”. But:

• InconsistencyInconsistency• feedbackfeedback

• road rageroad rage

• time-depthtime-depth

• Languages without writing systems?Languages without writing systems?

• (Some) words can be an answer to a question (Some) words can be an answer to a question • what did we just witness? what did we just witness? road rage road rage• what do I need most right now?what do I need most right now? feedback feedback

Words and morphemesWords and morphemes

• Morpheme: largest Morpheme: largest formform (sound, gesture) (sound, gesture) associated with a particular associated with a particular meaning [[||flɑwɹ̩ �]flɑwɹ̩ �]

• flowersflowers • 2 morphemes: [2 morphemes: [||flɑwɹ̩ �-z] or [flɑwɹ̩ �-z] or [||flɑwɹ̩ �+z]flɑwɹ̩ �+z]

Free vs. bound morphemesFree vs. bound morphemes

free:free: can stand alone as word can stand alone as word– certain, able, carton, finch, pinch, sycamorecertain, able, carton, finch, pinch, sycamore

bound:bound: must be attached to some must be attached to some other morpheme to form a wordother morpheme to form a word– some bound morphemes in Englishsome bound morphemes in English

-able (--able (-//ʌʌbbʌʌl/): l/): lovablelovable

un-un- (/ (/ʌʌn/-) negative: n/-) negative: unlovableunlovable

Root vs. affix morphemesRoot vs. affix morphemes

RootsRoots– major (referring) component of word meaningmajor (referring) component of word meaning– typicallytypically longer than affixes longer than affixes– can be bound or freecan be bound or free– usu. one (or more) root morphemes per word usu. one (or more) root morphemes per word

flower flower [flɑwɹ̩ �] [flɑwɹ̩ �] is a wordis a word– also also one root morphemeone root morpheme

A bound rootA bound root

Cran-Cran-cranberry: cran- + berrycranberry: cran- + berry

cranapple: cran- + applecranapple: cran- + apple

and moreand more

AffixesAffixes

PrefixesPrefixes //ʌʌn/- negative:  n/- negative:  kindkind, , unkindunkind

SuffixesSuffixes-/z/ plural -/z/ plural

InfixesInfixes another, “a another, “a wholewhole nother” nother”

Caveat: homophonyCaveat: homophony

Which of the following words contain the same suffix?Which of the following words contain the same suffix?– taller, caller, fallertaller, caller, faller– taller, uglier, prettiertaller, uglier, prettier– taller, number, sombertaller, number, somber– taller, bomber, teachertaller, bomber, teacher

-er -er comparativecomparative– taller, uglier, prettiertaller, uglier, prettier

-er-er agentive/instrumental agentive/instrumental– caller, faller, bomber, teachercaller, faller, bomber, teacher

-er-er not a suffix in not a suffix in– number, sombernumber, somber

--erer comparative and comparative and -er -er agentive are homophonesagentive are homophones– same sound, different meaningsame sound, different meaning

Morpheme typesMorpheme types

freefree boundbound

rootroot flowerflower

pausepause

pawpaw

cran-cran-

affixaffix -/z/ pl.-/z/ pl.

-/-/ɹ̩ �ɹ̩ �/ agent/ agent

AllomorphyAllomorphy

Morphological analysisMorphological analysis

GoalGoal– Determine morphemes, any restrictions on Determine morphemes, any restrictions on

combining morphemes combining morphemes

How?How?– Compare two or more words which differ Compare two or more words which differ

minimally in form and meaningminimally in form and meaningPairwise comparison bestPairwise comparison best

– Largest form associated with a meaning: Largest form associated with a meaning: morphememorpheme

Practice with morphological Practice with morphological analysis: Sahaptinanalysis: Sahaptin

Vowel systemVowel system

frontfront centralcentral backback

highhigh i iii ii ɨ u uuu uu

lowlow ɑ ɑɑɑ ɑɑ

[ɨ] = high central unrounded vowel: [|sɨkni] ‘yellow bell’

[ii] = [i:] = long high front unrounded vowel etc.

[ɑ] = mid central unrounded vowel ([ɑ] = mid central unrounded vowel ([ʌʌ] ~ [] ~ [əə]): [plɑʃ] ‘white’]): [plɑʃ] ‘white’

Sahaptin consonantsSahaptin consonantslabialabiall

alveolaalveolarr

palatpalatalal

velarvelar labio-labio-velarvelar

uvularuvular labio-labio-uvularuvular

glottalglottal

stopsstops p p’p p’ t t’t t’ k k’k k’ kkww k kww’’ q q’q q’ qqww q qww’’ ʔʔ

affricateaffricatess

ts ts’ts ts’ ʧ ʧ’ʧ ʧ’

laterallateral

tɬ tɬ’tɬ tɬ’

fricativefricativess

ss ʃʃ xx xxww χχ χχww hh

laterallateral

ɬɬ

nasalsnasals mm nn

laterallateral ll

glidesglides jj ww

[ɬ]

Voiceless lateral alveolar fricativeVoiceless lateral alveolar fricative

[ɬap]

[ʔaaɬ]

[ɬwaaj]

‘flap (flapping noise)’

‘generous’

‘slowly’

Voiceless lateral alveolar affricate: [tɬ]tɬ]

[tɬup] ‘jump’[tɬup] ‘jump’

Lateral ejective affricate: [tɬ’]Lateral ejective affricate: [tɬ’]

[tɬ’iks] ‘soon’[tɬ’iks] ‘soon’

Some Sahaptin verbsSome Sahaptin verbs

||ssɨnwinwiʃʃɑɑɑɑʃʃ ‘‘I’m talking’I’m talking’||kkɑɑɑɑmmʃʃɑɑɑɑʃʃ ‘‘I miss’ (something)I miss’ (something)

Morphological analysis

||ssɨnwi ‘talk’ + nwi ‘talk’ + ʃɑɑʃʃɑɑʃ ‘I (am)’ (present) ‘I (am)’ (present)

||kkɑɑɑɑm ‘miss’m ‘miss’

||ʃp’ʃp’ɑɑwiwiʃʃɑɑɑɑʃʃ ‘‘I miss’ (something)I miss’ (something)

Morphological analysis

||ʃp’ɑwiʃp’ɑwi ‘play ball’ + ‘play ball’ + ʃɑɑʃʃɑɑʃ ‘I (am)’ (present) ‘I (am)’ (present)

SummarySummary

Words consist of morphemesWords consist of morphemes– Root vs. affixRoot vs. affix– Bound vs. freeBound vs. free

Morphological analysisMorphological analysis