Morphology and Morphology and SyntaxSyntax

Tree structuresTree structures

A tree structure reflects the internal A tree structure reflects the internal structure of complex words, structure of complex words, phrases and sentences.phrases and sentences.

VV

VV NN

enen forceforce

VV

rere VV

VV NN

enen forceforce

NN

VV NN

rere VV erer

VV NN

enen forceforce

NN

NN ss

VV NN

rere VV erer

VV NN

enen forceforce

WRONG: WRONG:

NN

VV N N

rere VV N N ss

enen N NN N

force erforce er

OK:OK: NPNP

DetDet APAP PPPP

Adv AAdv A NN P P NPNP

aa veryvery strangestrange collection collection ofof stamps stamps

This This very strange collection of stampsvery strange collection of stamps and that and that oneone

This very strange This very strange collection of stampscollection of stamps and that quite ordinary and that quite ordinary oneone

*This*This very strange collection very strange collection of of stamps and that stamps and that oneone of coins of coins

SO ALSO OK:SO ALSO OK: NPNP

DetDet APAP N’N’

aa Adv Adv AA NN PP PP

very strange very strange collectioncollection P NPP NP

of of stampsstamps

WRONG: NPWRONG: NP

Det N’Det N’ PP PPaa AP N P NP AP N P NP Adv A Adv A collection ofcollection of

stampsstamps very strangevery strange

What if there is no specifier What if there is no specifier and/or complement?and/or complement?

OK:OK: NPNP N’N’ NN

ALSO OK:ALSO OK: NP NP

NN

Sentences in English:Sentences in English:

OK:OK: SS

NP InflNP Infl VPVP

Given that Infl is the head, you may also call S an Given that Infl is the head, you may also call S an InflP, or IP, or AuxP (other names for Infl InflP, or IP, or AuxP (other names for Infl position are I or Aux).position are I or Aux).

ALSO OK (if we want to make ALSO OK (if we want to make sentences fit into the ‘X bar’ schema sentences fit into the ‘X bar’ schema for phrase structure):for phrase structure):

S (or InflP)S (or InflP)

NPNP Infl’Infl’

InflInfl VPVP

Full sentence structureFull sentence structure CPCP

C’C’

CC S (or InflP) S (or InflP)

NP Infl’NP Infl’

InflInfl VP VP

V’V’

VV

Agglutination versus Agglutination versus FusionFusion

Example of agglutination:Example of agglutination:paruka = paruka = eateat-bur-bur = 1st person, = 1st person, -bap = -bap = 22ndnd, , --pil = pil = 3rd3rd-kal = -kal = pluralplural -gop = -gop = past tensepast tense

parukabur = ‘I eat’parukabur = ‘I eat’parukaburkal = ‘we eat’parukaburkal = ‘we eat’parukapil = he/she eats’parukapil = he/she eats’parukapilkal = ‘they eat’parukapilkal = ‘they eat’parukagoppil = ‘he/she ate’parukagoppil = ‘he/she ate’parukagoppilkal = ‘they ate’parukagoppilkal = ‘they ate’

elel handhand ‘hand’‘hand’

el-imel-im handhand-1poss-1poss ‘my hand’‘my hand’

el-im-iz el-im-iz handhand-1poss-plur -1poss-plur ‘our hand’‘our hand’

el-im-iz-iel-im-iz-i handhand-1poss-plur-acc-1poss-plur-acc ‘our hand’‘our hand’

(in object (in object function)function)

Fusion:Fusion:

parukaparuka = ‘eat’ = ‘eat’

parukabing = ‘I eat’parukabing = ‘I eat’parukamoop = ‘you eat’parukamoop = ‘you eat’parukala = ‘I ate’parukala = ‘I ate’parukabam = ‘we ate’parukabam = ‘we ate’

masculine neuter femininemasculine neuter feminine gradgrad ‘city’ ‘city’ seloselo ‘village’ ‘village’ ovcaovca

‘sheep’‘sheep’

sg pl sg pl sgsg pl sg pl sg plpl

Nominative Nominative grad gradovigrad gradovi selo sela ovca selo sela ovca ovce ovce

Genitive Genitive grada gradova sela sela ovce grada gradova sela sela ovce ovaca ovaca

Dative Dative gradu gradovima selu selima ovci gradu gradovima selu selima ovci ovcama ovcama

Accusative Accusative grad gradove selo sela ovcu grad gradove selo sela ovcu ovce ovce

Instrumental Instrumental gradom gradovima selom selima ovcom gradom gradovima selom selima ovcom ovcama ovcama

Locative Locative gradu gradovima selu selima ovci gradu gradovima selu selima ovci ovcama ovcama

Ergative Case and Ergative Case and Absolutive CaseAbsolutive Case

Some languages have nominative case Some languages have nominative case and accusative case.and accusative case.

Some other languages have ergative Some other languages have ergative case and absolutive case.case and absolutive case.

Nominative/accusative languages:Nominative/accusative languages:

Nominative case marks subjects.Nominative case marks subjects.

Accusative case marks objects.Accusative case marks objects.

The woman-NOM laughed.The woman-NOM laughed.

The woman-NOM read the book-ACC.The woman-NOM read the book-ACC.

Ergative/absolutive languages:Ergative/absolutive languages:

Ergative case marks Ergative case marks subjectssubjects of transitive of transitive verbsverbs..

Absolutive case marks Absolutive case marks objectsobjects of of transitive verbstransitive verbs AND ALSO AND ALSO subjects of subjects of intransitive verbs.intransitive verbs.

The woman-ABS laughed.The woman-ABS laughed.The woman-ERG read the book-ABS.The woman-ERG read the book-ABS.

If English were an ergative/absolutive If English were an ergative/absolutive language...language...

She laughed.She laughed.

Him saw she. (meaning ‘he saw her’)Him saw she. (meaning ‘he saw her’)

Class I and Class II Class I and Class II affixesaffixes

What’s the difference?What’s the difference?

THE difference is: Class I affixes THE difference is: Class I affixes influence the stress pattern of the word influence the stress pattern of the word they attach to. Class II affixes do not.they attach to. Class II affixes do not.

Often (but not always) Class I affixes are Often (but not always) Class I affixes are closer to the stem then Class II affixes closer to the stem then Class II affixes (when both occur).(when both occur).

Sentences with two or more Sentences with two or more main verbsmain verbs

Claire wants to go shoppingClaire wants to go shopping..

The verb in the main sentence, The verb in the main sentence, wantswants, , takes a takes a non-finite clausenon-finite clause as its as its complement here: a VP headed by complement here: a VP headed by the infinitive the infinitive to goto go..

SS

NP InflNP Infl VPVP

ClaireClaire V’ V’

VV VPVP

wantswants V’ V’

V VPV VP

to goto go shoppingshopping

Why ‘movement’?Why ‘movement’?

‘‘Movement’ is a metaphor for the phenomenon Movement’ is a metaphor for the phenomenon that something with a particular grammatical that something with a particular grammatical function is not in the position in the sentence function is not in the position in the sentence that elements with that function normally are, that elements with that function normally are, but instead goes into a ‘special’ position in the but instead goes into a ‘special’ position in the sentence structure. sentence structure.

The notation using ‘movement’ and empty The notation using ‘movement’ and empty positions is one way (among others) of keeping positions is one way (among others) of keeping track of the grammatical function of the track of the grammatical function of the ‘moved’ element.‘moved’ element.

Why this phenomenon exists is a different Why this phenomenon exists is a different matter.matter.

Question 5 of this week’s Question 5 of this week’s tutorialtutorial

Differences between ‘multiple wh-Differences between ‘multiple wh-movement’ in Bulgarian and Czech.movement’ in Bulgarian and Czech.

Question 6 of this week’s Question 6 of this week’s tutorialtutorial

Generalized verb movement to C.Generalized verb movement to C.

In English, verb movement to the C position is In English, verb movement to the C position is limited tolimited to

(i)(i) Interrogative sentencesInterrogative sentencesandand

(ii)(ii) Auxiliary verbsAuxiliary verbs

*Which string quartet heard George yesterday?*Which string quartet heard George yesterday?Which string quartet did George hear Which string quartet did George hear

yesterday?yesterday?

In some other languages, verb movement to In some other languages, verb movement to C can also apply to main verbs...C can also apply to main verbs...

Hvad koster en billet?Hvad koster en billet?what costs a ticketwhat costs a ticket‘‘What does a ticket cost?’What does a ticket cost?’

*Hvad gør en billet koste?*Hvad gør en billet koste? what does a ticket costwhat does a ticket cost

... and verb movement to C also occurs in declarative ... and verb movement to C also occurs in declarative sentences:sentences:

Denne film har børnene set.Denne film har børnene set.this film have children seenthis film have children seen‘‘The children have seen this film (rather than another The children have seen this film (rather than another

one)’.one)’.

*Denne film børnene*Denne film børnene har set.har set. this film childrenthis film children have seenhave seen

*This film have the children seen.*This film have the children seen.This film the children have seen.This film the children have seen.

CPCP

NPNP C’C’denne filmdenne film

CC S (= InflP) S (= InflP) harhar

NP Infl’NP Infl’ børnenebørnene

InflInfl VP VP ee

V’V’

V NPV NPset set ee

Prediction: if subject-verb inversion is Prediction: if subject-verb inversion is the result of the verb going into the the result of the verb going into the C position of the sentence, then such C position of the sentence, then such inversion does not take place in inversion does not take place in embedded sentences in which the C embedded sentences in which the C position is already occupied by a position is already occupied by a complementizer.complementizer.

Contradicted by Icelandic and Yiddish.Contradicted by Icelandic and Yiddish.