The Boundaries of Pure Morphology: Diachronic and Synchronic Perspectives (Oxford Studies in Diachronic and Historical Linguistics)

This book brings together leading international scholars to consider whether in some languages there are phenomena which are unique to morphology, determined neither by phonology or syntax. Central to these phenomena is the notion of the 'morphome', conceived by Mark Aronoff in 1994 as a function, itself lacking form and meaning but which serves systematically to relate them. The classic examples of morphomes are determined neither phonologically or morphosyntactically, and appear to be an autonomous property of the synchronic organization of morphological paradigms. The nature of the morphome is a problematic and much debated issue at the centre of current research in morphology, partly because it is defined negatively as what remains after all attempts to assign putatively morphomic phenomena to phonological or morphosyntactic conditioning have been exhausted. However, morphomic phenomena generally originate in some kind of morphosyntactic or phonological conditioning which has been lost while their effects have endured. Quite often, vestiges of the original conditioning environment persist, and the boundary between the morphomic and extramorphological conditioning may become problematic. In a series of pioneering explorations of the diachrony of morphomes __The Boundaries of Pure Morphology__ throws important new light on the nature of the morphome and the boundary - seen from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives - between what is and is not genuinely autonomous in morphology. Its findings will be of central interest to morphologists of all theoretical stripes as well as to all those concerned to understand the precise nature of linguistic diachrony. In A Series Of Pioneering Explorations Of The Diachrony Of Morphomes, This Book Throws New Light On The Nature Of The Morphome And The Boundary - Seen From Both Diachronic And Synchronic Perspectives - Between What Is And Is Not Genuinely Autonomous In Morphology. Its Findings Will Be Of Central Interest To Morphologists Of All Theoretical Stripes. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Introduction -- 2. Stem Alternations In Swiss Rumantsch / Stephen R. Anderson -- 3. `semi-autonomous' Morphology? A Problem In The History Of The Italian (and Romanian) Verb / Martin Maiden -- 4. Italian Finire-type Verbs: A Case Of Morphomic Attraction / Martina Da Tos -- 5. Fate Of The -id(i)- Morpheme In The Central Dolomitic Ladin Varieties Of Northern Italy: Variable Conditioning Of A Morphological Mechanism / Claire Meul -- 6. Future And Conditional In Occitan: A Non-canonical Morphome / Louise Esher -- 7. Compositionality And Change In Conditionals And Counterfactuals In Romance / Nigel Vincent -- 8. Morphomes In Sardinian Verb Inflection / Michele Loporcaro -- 9. Roots Of Language / Mark Aronoff -- 10. Morphomic Stems In The Northern Talyshi Verb: Diachrony And Synchrony / Steven Kaye -- 11. Overabundance In Diachrony: A Case Study / Chiara Cappellaro -- 12. Morphome And Morphosyntactic/semantic Features / Paul O'neill -- 13. Morphome As A Gradient Phenomenon: Evidence From Romance / John Charles Smith -- 14. Beyond The Stem And Inflectional Morphology: An Irregular Pattern At The Level Of Periphrasis / Silvio Cruschina. Edited By Silvio Cruschina, Martin Maiden, John Charles Smith. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [284]-307) And Index. This book considers whether in some languages there are phenomena which are unique to morphology, determined neither by phonology or syntax. Central to these phenomena is the notion of the ‘morphome’, conceived by Mark Aronoff in 1994 as a function, itself lacking form and meaning but which serves systematically to relate them. The classic examples of morphomes are determined neither phonologically or morphosyntactically, and appear to be an autonomous property of the synchronic organization of morphological paradigms. The nature of the morphome is a problematic and much debated issue at the centre of current research in morphology, partly because it is defined negatively as what remains after all attempts to assign putatively morphomic phenomena to phonological or morphosyntactic conditioning have been exhausted. However, morphomic phenomena generally originate in some kind of morphosyntactic or phonological conditioning which has been lost while their effects have endured. Quite often, vestiges of the original conditioning environment persist, and the boundary between the morphomic and extramorphological conditioning may become problematic. In a series of pioneering explorations of the diachrony of morphomes this book throws important new light on the nature of the morphome and the boundary—seen from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives—between what is and is not genuinely autonomous in morphology Cover 1 Contents 6 Series preface 8 List of abbreviations 9 Notes on contributors 12 1 Introduction 16 2 Stem alternations in Swiss Rumantsch 23 3 ‘Semi-autonomous’ morphology? A problem in the history of the Italian (and Romanian) verb 39 4 The Italian FINIRE-type verbs: a case of morphomic attraction 60 5 The fate of the -ID(I)- morpheme in the Central Dolomitic Ladin varieties of northern Italy: variable conditioning of a morphological mechanism 83 6 Future and conditional in Occitan: a non-canonical morphome 110 7 Compositionality and change in conditionals and counterfactuals in Romance 131 8 Morphomes in Sardinian verb inflection 152 9 The roots of language 176 10 Morphomic stems in the Northern Talyshi verb: diachrony and synchrony 196 11 Overabundance in diachrony: a case study 224 12 The morphome and morphosyntactic/semantic features 236 13 The morphome as a gradient phenomenon: evidence from Romance 262 14 Beyond the stem and inflectional morphology: an irregular pattern at the level of periphrasis 277 References 299 Index 324 A 324 B 325 C 325 D 326 E 327 F 327 G 328 H 328 I 328 J 329 K 329 L 329 M 330 N 330 O 331 P 331 Q 332 R 332 S 332 T 334 U 334 V 334 W 334 Y 334 Z 334