Morphological Theory

This is the first near-exhaustive introduction to the burgeoning field of morphology in generative grammar. Presupposing very little prior knowledge in linguistics, the book guides the reader from absolute basics to the most recent theoretical developments. Written in an accessible style, and including a wealth of exercises, this textbook is designed so that it can be used either on courses explicitly focussed on morphology or as an adjunct to other courses, particularly in generative syntax and in phonology.The book opens with an account of the phenomena studied by morphologists, an outline of classical problems and an introduction to the earliest models of morphology proposed within the generative paradigm. Its second part deals with the interface between morphology and phonology and includes a detailed discussion of Lexical Phonology, and related models, as well as a variety of types of nonconcatenative morphology. Part III begins with a comprehensive introduction to more recent theories of word structure, including inflectional morphology. Subsequent chapters examine the interface between morphology and syntax, exploring the processes which affect grammatical relations, such as passives and causatives. Further chapters examine compounding processes and the morphology, phonology and syntax of clitic systems. The final part of the book includes a full discussion of 'bracketing paradoxes' and closes with a survey of models of morphology and competing views of the place of morphology in linguistic theory.In the second edition, the following revisions will be made. The first five chapters will be updated and shortened. Chapters 6 ('Later generative theories') and 7 ('Grammatical relations') will be replaced with new chapters entitled 'Inflection' and 'Argument structure'. An entirely new chapter with the working title 'Derivational morphology and lexical relatedness' will be added. Chapters 8 and 9 will be updated. Chapters 10 and 11 will be eliminated, with some of the material incorporated into earlier chapters. These revisions will serve to update the book as well as to tighten up the overall structure.