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Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages
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Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages

A special issue of Languages (ISSN 2226-471X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 18985

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Leonardo M. Savoia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
Interests: morpho-syntax; phonology; linguistic variation; Romance languages; Albanian

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues

Morphological structure is a specialized property of human language often studied for its apparent autonomy and its idiosyncrasies, notwithstanding its crucial role in the externalization of syntactic structures. In fact, many descriptive approaches substantially based on the word and paradigm pattern (Blevins 2006; Maiden 2011), while highlighting relevant aspects of morphology, fail to capture what we think is its fundamental trait, i.e., the mapping of interpretive and structural properties of the sentence onto morphemes. An interesting hypothesis is that morphology is based on the same compositional mechanisms underlying syntax, able to combine roots with affixes endowed with an interpretive import (Halle and Marantz 1993, Kramer 2014, Manzini et al. 2020, Savoia et al. 2020).

Romance languages represent a privileged field of inquiry for morphology, both because of their wide and intricate morphological variation and because of their inflectional and derivational richness in the nominal and verbal domains. This Special Issue will provide both new and updated analyses of Romance morphology and interesting elements for understanding the nature of morphological tools. The constraints on inflectional and derivational exponents, the asymmetric distribution of gender and number inflections in DPs and other syntactic contexts, syncretism, mesoclisis, and differential marking phenomena can shed light on the role of semantic primitives at the basis of the relation between morphology and syntax.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editor <[email protected]> or to the Languages editorial office ([email protected]) by the deadline of 31 July 2021. Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors to ensure proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Tentative completion schedule:

  • Abstract submission deadline: 31 July 2021
  • Notification of abstract acceptance: 20 September 2021
  • Full manuscript deadline: 31 January 2022

References

Blevins, James. 2006. Word-based morphology. Journal of Linguistics, 42: 531-573.

Halle, Morris and Alec Marantz. 1993. Distributed morphology and the pieces of inflection. In The view from Building 20, edited by Ken Hale and Samuel J. Keyser. Cambridge, Mass. The MIT Press, pp. 111-176.

Kramer, Ruth. 2015. The Morphosyntax of Gender. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Maiden, Martin 2011, Allomorphy, autonomous morphology and phonological conditioning in the history of the Daco-Romance present and subjunctive. Transactions of the Philological Society 109:59-91.

Manzini, M. Rita, Leonardo M. Savoia and Benedetta Baldi. 2020. Microvariation and macrocategories: Differential Plural Marking and Phase theory. L’Italia Dialettale, 82: 189-212.

Savoia, Leonardo M., Benedetta Baldi and M. Rita Manzini. 2020. Micro-Variation in Nominal Plural in North-Lombard and Neighbouring Rhaeto-Romance Varieties. A Phasal Treatment In Exploring Variation in Linguistic Patterns, edited by Karolina Drabikowska and Anna Prażmowska. Lubnlin: Wydawnictwo KUL, pp. 13-38

Prof. Leonardo M. Savoia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • morphology
  • derivational and inflectional morphology
  • noun and verbal inflection
  • agreement
  • case marking
  • inflection and syntax
  • inflection and semantics
  • syncretism
  • differential marking
  • types of affixation
  • mesoclisis

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 287 KiB  
Editorial
Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages
by Leonardo Maria Savoia
Languages 2023, 8(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020106 - 10 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1191
Abstract
According to a traditional vision, natural languages are systems that combine words in sequences to which syntax gives a logical organization [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

22 pages, 863 KiB  
Article
(Extreme) Polymorphism in Occitan Verb Morphology
by Franck Floricic
Languages 2023, 8(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8010040 - 30 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1736
Abstract
Polymorphism has long been recognized as a crucial dimension of the nature of language. One of the merits of dialectology and dialectologists is emphasis on the inherently variable and polymorphic nature of linguistic systems, which are always in a state of relative equilibrium [...] Read more.
Polymorphism has long been recognized as a crucial dimension of the nature of language. One of the merits of dialectology and dialectologists is emphasis on the inherently variable and polymorphic nature of linguistic systems, which are always in a state of relative equilibrium and stability. The most striking features of the Occitan data that will be discussed lies in the possibility of finding various forms in a given cell in certain paradigms; more strikingly, it will be shown that two or three (even four) paradigms for one and the same (tense) verb may coexist in the same variety. It will be argued that if polymorphism is the natural state of linguistic systems, it is also anti-economic from a cognitive and processing point of view. It follows that the diachronic evolution of languages tends to develop adaptive solutions to circumvent the potential drawbacks of extreme polymorphism: “natural selection” leads to the reduction or elimination of morphological proliferation. Of course, before reduction or elimination take place, a more or less extended period of time may elapse during which a preference for some paradigmatic options may arise. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
34 pages, 5253 KiB  
Article
Pluri-Grammars for Pluri-Genders: Competing Gender Systems in the Nominal Morphology of Non-Binary French
by Jennifer Marisa Kaplan
Languages 2022, 7(4), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7040266 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3091
Abstract
Although much has been written in recent years on the emergence of non-binary English linguistic innovations, comparatively little has been written on non-binary French forms, especially neo-morphemes marking non-binary gender on nouns. As French is a grammatical-gender language with a traditionally binary (masculine [...] Read more.
Although much has been written in recent years on the emergence of non-binary English linguistic innovations, comparatively little has been written on non-binary French forms, especially neo-morphemes marking non-binary gender on nouns. As French is a grammatical-gender language with a traditionally binary (masculine and feminine) system, many non-binary Francophones have circumvented the social connection between grammatical gender and human gender in innovating new, non-binary markers for animate nouns and their modifiers. This study uses a mixed methods approach, combining analysis of non-binary French grammars alongside interview data in order to highlight the divergent morphological approaches underlying non-binary marking systems. Three approaches to the formation of non-binary nouns are identified: A Compounding Approach, which combines masculine and feminine markers; a Systematic Approach, which phonologically conditions the use of non-binary allomorphs, with the markers themselves ranging from phonologically novel within French syllabic structure, to homophonous with masculine and/or feminine variants; and an Invariable Approach, which applies a single non-binary marker across all nouns. Ultimately, this study disentangles both morphological patterns in the formation of non-binary words and some of the motivations behind them in an emerging French subtype well-known to be heterogeneous. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
18 pages, 742 KiB  
Article
Object Clitic Reduplication in Perugino
by Elisa Di Domenico
Languages 2022, 7(4), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7040262 - 12 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1063
Abstract
This work describes a case of object clitic reduplication (OCR) in restructuring sentences, in a Central Italian dialect: Perugino. OCR (not attested in the local variety of Italian spoken in Perugia) is optional and alternates with either enclisis or proclisis. It may concern [...] Read more.
This work describes a case of object clitic reduplication (OCR) in restructuring sentences, in a Central Italian dialect: Perugino. OCR (not attested in the local variety of Italian spoken in Perugia) is optional and alternates with either enclisis or proclisis. It may concern direct and indirect object clitics, without person restrictions, locatives, partitives and reflexives. Only proclisis is instead possible with middle se. In sentences with more than one restructuring predicate, the clitic can occur only twice, and with some restrictions. The data suggest that middle se does not behave like (other) object clitics, including reflexive uses of se, a distinction also revealed by standard Piedmontese. The data also reveal that the boundaries of the two closely related non-standard varieties (the dialect and the local variety of Italian spoken in Perugia) are not blurred, nor are there intermediate repertoires or dialect continua. OCR is compatible with monoclausal as well as with biclausal analyses of restructuring sentences, but not with models that assume a different structure/derivation for restructuring sentences in the case of proclisis and in the case of enclisis. If a monoclausal structure is to be assumed, OCR suggests that there are (only) two clitic positions/strings in the clause. The lower position/string, however, cannot be made available only by lexical verbs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
16 pages, 368 KiB  
Article
Mixed Compounds: Where Morphology Interfaces with Syntax
by Gloria Cocchi and Cristina Pierantozzi
Languages 2022, 7(3), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7030230 - 6 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2236
Abstract
In this work, we investigate a special type of CS below word level, which is observed in mixed compound words. In particular, we discuss mixed Italian–German compounds; this combination is particularly interesting since, in the two languages, the process of compounding follows different [...] Read more.
In this work, we investigate a special type of CS below word level, which is observed in mixed compound words. In particular, we discuss mixed Italian–German compounds; this combination is particularly interesting since, in the two languages, the process of compounding follows different rules for what concerns the position of the head, as well as gender and number inflection. An Acceptability Judgment Task was administered to some bilingual speakers, who assessed the acceptability of mixed compounds inserted in both German and Italian clauses. Our conclusion is that it is possible to have mixed compounds, though this option is severely constrained, especially because of the different word order parameters exhibited by the two languages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
25 pages, 3690 KiB  
Article
Romance Root Suppletion and Cumulative Exponence: Fusion, Pruning, Spanning
by Natascha Pomino and Eva-Maria Remberger
Languages 2022, 7(3), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7030161 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1753
Abstract
This paper discusses verbal stem allomorphy in Romance within the framework of Distributed Morphology (DM). We will present several technical instruments provided by the framework, applying them to an analysis of Romance verbal forms, with a particular focus on stem suppletion with the [...] Read more.
This paper discusses verbal stem allomorphy in Romance within the framework of Distributed Morphology (DM). We will present several technical instruments provided by the framework, applying them to an analysis of Romance verbal forms, with a particular focus on stem suppletion with the verb go. We conclude that the best solution to the problem of form–function discrepancies, as they appear in suppletion (but not only), is a spanning approach. This approach operates at Vocabulary Insertion only, without any need for the assumption of further, often critically discussed, morphological processes, such as fusion or pruning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
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13 pages, 621 KiB  
Article
Derivational Relators in Italian
by Ludovico Franco and Paolo Lorusso
Languages 2022, 7(2), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7020130 - 24 May 2022
Viewed by 1823
Abstract
The present paper addresses the categorial content of affixes forming a set of denominal adjectives in Italian, arguing that they are substantially the derivational counterpart of oblique case/adpositions. Specifically, we argue that they act as elementary relators, following Manzini and Franco, who characterized [...] Read more.
The present paper addresses the categorial content of affixes forming a set of denominal adjectives in Italian, arguing that they are substantially the derivational counterpart of oblique case/adpositions. Specifically, we argue that they act as elementary relators, following Manzini and Franco, who characterized oblique cases and prepositions as general relators expressing the relations is-included (⊆)/includes (⊇), or, in other words, their content is what Belvin and den Dikken dubbed “zonal inclusion”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
22 pages, 1574 KiB  
Article
The Spell-Out of Non-Heads in Spanish Compounds: A Nanosyntactic Approach
by Bárbara Marqueta Gracia
Languages 2022, 7(2), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7020105 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2509
Abstract
This paper considers the morphophonological variants found in the non-head position of Spanish productive compound patterns. In the literature it has been noted that compounds resort to both I- and O-ending stems and words (even inflected ones) to spell-out compound non-heads. [...] Read more.
This paper considers the morphophonological variants found in the non-head position of Spanish productive compound patterns. In the literature it has been noted that compounds resort to both I- and O-ending stems and words (even inflected ones) to spell-out compound non-heads. The study takes a nanosyntactic approach to compound syntax and examines the functional structure of the main classes of Spanish compounds. The goal of the analysis is to show that the functional structures of compounds determine to some extent which spell-outs are chosen in lexical innovations within the schemas, and also to address the issue of why certain allomorphs never appear in a given context while others seem to compete for lexical insertion. Research was conducted using a self-compiled sample of 1250 compounds extracted from contemporary Spanish written corpora. The results provide empirical support for syntacticist approaches to compounding, in that the proposed functional structures capture the predominantly compositional semantics of compounding, and also because traditional “linking vowels” are reconsidered to be the stable and systematic spell-outs for relational categories inside compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
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18 pages, 2053 KiB  
Article
Root, Thematic Vowels and Inflectional Exponents in Verbs: A Morpho-Syntactic Analysis
by Leonardo Maria Savoia and Benedetta Baldi
Languages 2022, 7(2), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7020104 - 20 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2339
Abstract
A long-time generative tradition treats the functional domains of the verb and noun as a result of motion and affixing; however, assuming a close correspondence between the order in syntax and morphology, as in the Mirror Principle proposed by Baker seems to be [...] Read more.
A long-time generative tradition treats the functional domains of the verb and noun as a result of motion and affixing; however, assuming a close correspondence between the order in syntax and morphology, as in the Mirror Principle proposed by Baker seems to be too strong a hypothesis and empirically unsustainable. Distributed Morphology (DM) incorporates this idea by translating it into rules manipulating syntactic nodes. The morphological phenomena we will investigate essentially concerns the thematic vowel (TV) and its interaction with agreement morphology. A complex micro-variation emerges, which provides us with a test bench in order to account for the word-internal morphological organization. We question the idea that morphology is an auxiliary and expensive post-syntactic component, DM, that conveys information separated from its original locus as assumed by Embick and Noyer. On the contrary, we think that a more adequate account is reached assuming that the morphology is governed by the same computational rules as the syntax, where the operation Merge combines fully interpretable sub-word elements forming complex inflected words. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Morphology Explorations in Romance Languages)
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