LING 80.08 Nonconcatenative Morphology

The field of morphology investigates word structure: How are complex words built up from their component parts? Arguably the most common kind of morphology, affixation and compounding are concatenative: two or more separable morphemes are combined to create a complex word. This course focuses on the more challenging set of phenomena known as nonconcatenative morphology: those cases where a clean line cannot be drawn between morphemes. We will explore a range of data patterns included under this heading, including Semitic root-and-pattern morphology, grammatical tone, reduplication, ablaut, truncation, and consonant mutation. We will then evaluate formal approaches to nonconcatenative morphology, which pushes most theoretical frameworks of morphology to their limits.

Instructor

McPherson (Not offered in period 23X - 24S.)

Prerequisite

two or more 20s-level LING courses, or permission of instructor.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:QDS

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.