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.Then the phenomenon of base and affix allomorphy is introduced, followed by adiscussion of the notion of word formation rule.Finally, cases of multiple affixation andcompounding are analyzed.1.Identifying morphemesIn the previous chapter we have introduced the crucial notion of morpheme as thesmallest meaningful unit.We have seen that this notion is very useful inaccountingfor the internal structure of many complex words (recall our examplesemploy-ee, invent-or, un-happy, etc.).In this section, we will look at more data and seethat there are a number of problems involved with the morpheme as the centralmorphological unit.1.1.The morpheme as the minimal linguistic signThe most important characteristic of the traditional morpheme is that it is conceivedof as a unit of form and meaning.For example, the morpheme un- (as in unhappy) isan entity that consists of the content or meaning on the one hand, and the sounds orletters which express this meaning on the other hand.It is a unit of form andmeaning, a sign.The notion of sign may be familiar to most readers from non-linguistic contexts.A red traffic light, for instance, is also a kind of sign in the abovesense: it has a meaning ( stop! ), and it has a form which expresses this meaning.In 26Chapter 2: Studying Complex Wordsthe case of the traffic light, we could say that the form consists of the well-knownshape of the traffic light (a simple torch with a red bulb would not be recognized as atraffic light) and, of course, the red light it emits.Similarly, morphemes have ameaning that is expressed in the physical form of sound waves (in speech) or by theblack marks on paper which we call letters.In the case of the prefix un-, the unit ofform and meaning can be schematically represented as in (1).The part of themorpheme we have referred to as its form is also called morph, a term coined onthe basis of the Greek word for form, figure.(1) The morpheme un-[Àn]morph notmeaningThe pairing of certain sounds with certain meanings is essentially arbitrary.That thesound sequence [Àn] stands for the meaning not is a matter of pure convention ofEnglish, and in a different language (and speech community) the same string ofsounds may represent another meaning or no meaning at all.In complex words at least one morpheme is combined with anothermorpheme.This creates a derived word, a new complex sign, which stands for thecombined meaning of the two morphemes involved.This is schematically shown in(2):(2)[Àn][ÀnhìpIj][hìpIj]+ = not happy not happy 27Chapter 2: Studying Complex WordsThe meaning of the new complex sign unhappy can be predicted from the meaningsof its parts.Linguistic expressions such as unhappy, whose meaning is a function ofthe meaning of its parts are called compositional.Not all complex words andexpressions, however, are compositional, as can be seen from idiomatic expressionssuch as kick the bucket die.And pairs such as view and interview, or late and latelyshow that not even all complex words have compositional, i.e.completelytransparent meanings.As we have already seen in the previous chapter, the meaningof the prefix inter- can be paraphrased as between , but the verb interview does notmean view between but something like have a (formal) conversation.And whilelate means after the due time , the adverb lately does not have the compositionalmeaning in a late manner but is best paraphrased as recently.1.2.Problems with the morpheme: the mapping of form and meaningOne of the central problems with the morpheme is that not all morphologicalphenomena can be accounted for by a neat one-to-one mapping of form andmeaning.Of the many cases that could be mentioned here and that are discussed inthe linguistic literature, I will discuss some that are especially relevant to Englishword-formation [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]
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.Then the phenomenon of base and affix allomorphy is introduced, followed by adiscussion of the notion of word formation rule.Finally, cases of multiple affixation andcompounding are analyzed.1.Identifying morphemesIn the previous chapter we have introduced the crucial notion of morpheme as thesmallest meaningful unit.We have seen that this notion is very useful inaccountingfor the internal structure of many complex words (recall our examplesemploy-ee, invent-or, un-happy, etc.).In this section, we will look at more data and seethat there are a number of problems involved with the morpheme as the centralmorphological unit.1.1.The morpheme as the minimal linguistic signThe most important characteristic of the traditional morpheme is that it is conceivedof as a unit of form and meaning.For example, the morpheme un- (as in unhappy) isan entity that consists of the content or meaning on the one hand, and the sounds orletters which express this meaning on the other hand.It is a unit of form andmeaning, a sign.The notion of sign may be familiar to most readers from non-linguistic contexts.A red traffic light, for instance, is also a kind of sign in the abovesense: it has a meaning ( stop! ), and it has a form which expresses this meaning.In 26Chapter 2: Studying Complex Wordsthe case of the traffic light, we could say that the form consists of the well-knownshape of the traffic light (a simple torch with a red bulb would not be recognized as atraffic light) and, of course, the red light it emits.Similarly, morphemes have ameaning that is expressed in the physical form of sound waves (in speech) or by theblack marks on paper which we call letters.In the case of the prefix un-, the unit ofform and meaning can be schematically represented as in (1).The part of themorpheme we have referred to as its form is also called morph, a term coined onthe basis of the Greek word for form, figure.(1) The morpheme un-[Àn]morph notmeaningThe pairing of certain sounds with certain meanings is essentially arbitrary.That thesound sequence [Àn] stands for the meaning not is a matter of pure convention ofEnglish, and in a different language (and speech community) the same string ofsounds may represent another meaning or no meaning at all.In complex words at least one morpheme is combined with anothermorpheme.This creates a derived word, a new complex sign, which stands for thecombined meaning of the two morphemes involved.This is schematically shown in(2):(2)[Àn][ÀnhìpIj][hìpIj]+ = not happy not happy 27Chapter 2: Studying Complex WordsThe meaning of the new complex sign unhappy can be predicted from the meaningsof its parts.Linguistic expressions such as unhappy, whose meaning is a function ofthe meaning of its parts are called compositional.Not all complex words andexpressions, however, are compositional, as can be seen from idiomatic expressionssuch as kick the bucket die.And pairs such as view and interview, or late and latelyshow that not even all complex words have compositional, i.e.completelytransparent meanings.As we have already seen in the previous chapter, the meaningof the prefix inter- can be paraphrased as between , but the verb interview does notmean view between but something like have a (formal) conversation.And whilelate means after the due time , the adverb lately does not have the compositionalmeaning in a late manner but is best paraphrased as recently.1.2.Problems with the morpheme: the mapping of form and meaningOne of the central problems with the morpheme is that not all morphologicalphenomena can be accounted for by a neat one-to-one mapping of form andmeaning.Of the many cases that could be mentioned here and that are discussed inthe linguistic literature, I will discuss some that are especially relevant to Englishword-formation [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]