LNGT 0250: Morphology and Syntax
Spring 2015
Assignment #3: Due on Sunday March 8 by e-mail only, no later than 2pm. Hard copies will
not be accepted. If you have a hard copy, you’ll have to scan it into a .pdf document and e-mail it
to me by the deadline. Do not scan your homework pages as images. Scanned images of the
homework will not be accepted and will be immediately deleted.
Instructions: Please read thoroughly and carefully!
- Your answers must be typed. If you need to type phonetic symbols, you can follow the link
below for an interactive IPA keyboard, type any symbols you want, then copy and paste into your
homework document.
http://westonruter.github.io/ipa-chart/keyboard/
If for any reason you find difficulty using this webpage, you can simply hand-write these symbols
after your print out the homework, scan the printed copy into a .pdf document (not as an image),
and e-mail the homework.
- This homework involves drawing trees. For these, you’ll need to use the ArborWin font for
Windows, or the Arboreal font for Mac. The ArborWin font is installed on 8 PCs at BiHall 116,
and the Arboreal font on 8 Mac’s outside Wilson Lab at the Davis Library. For information on
how to use the font, follow these links.
For PC users:
http://sites.middlebury.edu/spring2015morphologysyntax/files/2015/03/ArborWin-InstructionsWindows-users.pdf
http://sites.middlebury.edu/spring2015morphologysyntax/files/2015/03/ArborWin-ReferenceCard-Windows-users.pdf
For Mac users
http://sites.middlebury.edu/spring2015morphologysyntax/files/2015/03/Arboreal-InstructionsMac-users.pdf
http://sites.middlebury.edu/spring2015morphologysyntax/files/2015/03/Arboreal-ReferenceCard-Mac-users.pdf
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- This homework assignment consists of FOUR questions. Read each question carefully and
make sure you answer all parts and subparts of every question.
- You can submit your homework either as a .doc file or a .pdf file. Any other file types are not
accepted.
Before
e-mailing
the
homework,
make
sure
to
rename
the
file
to
‘assignment3_your_last_name’.
- Finally, make sure you write and sign the Honor Code Pledge on the homework before turning
it in.
Write and sign the Honor Code Pledge here.
Question 1: Fun with morphological trees (diagrammatic formalization)
Draw morphological trees for each of the following FIVE English words showing their recursive
morphological structure. Make sure to use the ArborWin/Arboreal fonts in drawing the trees (see
instructions above). Also, make sure to reference the handout of derivational affixes that I gave
out in class.
(5 points)
inconsistency, revitalization, irretrievable, underwhelmingly, incapacitated
Question 2: Fun with compounding (diagrammatic formalization and an application of a
taxonomy)
(i) Answer Exercise 7 from the textbook on p. 56.
(2 points)
(ii) Answer Exercise 8 from the textbook on pp. 56-57. No need to justify your answers for each
compound. Simply describe the compound, as in the examples given in the instructions of
the exercise. Make sure you have read Section 3.4.3 of the textbook before attempting this
exercise.
(4 points)
Question 3: Imaginationalize an analysis (identifying a challenge to an existing analysis and
attempting a solution)
We have used trees to represent the internal structure of words in languages like English which
have concatenative morphology. But as we explained in class, Semitic languages like Arabic
have a non-concatenative (aka templatic) morphology. Last week, Forrest raised a question in
class regarding how we can represent infixation using trees. We tried for a few minutes in class
but we didn’t seem to go anywhere. Now, your task is to attempt a formal analysis of infixation
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that would help us represent word structure in languages like Arabic. For this exercise, you have
to rely on your own ideas. You are not allowed to search the internet or library resources for a
solution. Just use your ‘formal imagination.’ You do not need to give an elaborate solution, but
you need to show how your solution works. If your solution still faces challenges, point them
out. Don’t sweep them under the rug! Refer to the Arabic examples on the lecture slides in your
solution. Important note: Your analysis has to be ‘formal’ (e.g., using some kind of a
diagrammatic representation). Attempted solutions presented in plain English will not receive
any credit.
(4 points)
Question 4: Fun with morphological analysis (data analysis)
(Note: If you haven’t done that already, have a look at Section 3.7 of Chapter 3 for an example
of morphological analysis.)
(i) Answer Exercise 3 on Kannada from the textbook p. 84.
(3 points)
(ii) First, study the following data from a language that we will call Language A. Now, write a
morphological rule that explains how the words in the second column are derived from
those in the first column in this language. Make sure your rule accounts for all examples in
the dataset.
(3 points)
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(iii)
Study the following data from a language that we will call SMM, then answer the two
questions that follow. Note that SMM has three tones: high (e.g. ó), mid (e.g., ō), and
low (e.g., ò).
First, for each of the English words in the table below, list the corresponding SMM morphemes.
(2 points)
English
Corresponding SMM morpheme
English
god
corn
lizard(s)
foot/feet
fish
puppy/puppies
sand
head(s)
squirrel(s)
hand(s)
Corresponding SMM morpheme
Second, how do you say ‘your,’ ‘our,’ and ‘my’ in SMM? If there are multiple ways for
expressing any of these morphemes, list all variants. For those morphemes that have multiple
variants, suggest a reason for the variance.
(2 points)
English
SMM morpheme
your
my
our
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