Non-concatenativity

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Non-concatenativity is a term from linguistic morphology . In some languages, inflection and word formation work through direct modification of the word stem, stem and affix are realized simultaneously. This type of morphology is called non-concatenative .

In many languages, however , the inflection and the formation of complex words takes place via the linear affixing of bound morphemes to a word stem : Conscience-free-ig-keit . This process is called concatenative .

Examples

In Tohono O'Odham , an Arizona Uto-Aztec language , the perfective aspect of a verb is formed by removing the last syllable of the stem . So no additional linguistic material is added, but subtracted: bidima → bidi "turn around", huhaaga → huhaa "howl".

The root inflection of the Semitic languages , e.g. B. Hebrew , is also understood as a kind of non-concatenativity. The derivation and flexion are not done through a linear affix , but rather through the combination of a consonant skeleton with different vowel patterns . The skeleton gdr "including" is used in combination with the vowel pattern aa " active " to gadar "he concluded one"; in combination with the vowel pattern such as "passive" it becomes gudar "he was included".

Inflection and word formation using tone are also classified as a type of non-concatenative morphology.

Occasionally, reduplication is also classified as a non-concatenative morphology.

Non-concatenativity is of some interest for generative syntax because languages ​​with a variety of such procedures are theoretically difficult to grasp with a generative model.

swell

  1. ↑ Examples from McCarthy (1994), see literature

literature