Linguistics Inflection and Derivation 1. French and English Derivational and Inflectional Morphology

Transcription

1 Linguistics Inflection and Derivation 1 French and English Derivational and Inflectional Morphology Accompanying this problem on a separate link is the first page of graphic novel (alias comic book ) in French, Hergé, Les aventures de Tintin: Les bijoux de la castafiore. Casterman, 196. The French text, showing morpheme breaks and with interlinear glossing is given below. 1 The abbreviations in the glosses are as follows. A label in parentheses means that the word has a feature relevant to morphology, but there is no overt morpheme showing it. 1, 2, first, second, third person subject condit. conditional (sort of like English would before a verb) f. feminine inf. infinitive m. masculine pl. plural pol.imper. polite imperative pres. present tense pres.prt. present participle (like I am going in English) pst.prt. past participle sg. singular Some affixes are just labeled with their English counterparts, like age or ness. Assume that they have more or less the same meaning and function as the English. French Text with Interlinear Glosses (2) Ah! L-e printemps! L-e joli moi de mai! ah the-m. spring(m) the-m. pretty(m) month(m) of May L-a nature dans tout-e l-a fraîch-eur d-u re-nouveau the-f. nature(f) in all-f. the-f. fresh-ness(f) of-the(m.sg.) again-newness(m) () L-e gazouillis de-s oiseau-x! Ce-s fleur-s de-s bois! the-m. twittering(m) of-the(pl) bird-pl. these-pl. flower-pl. of-the(pl) woods(pl) Et ce-s parfum-s! C-ette bon-ne odeur d humus! and these-pl. perfume-pl. this-f. good-f. odor(f) of humus Respir-ez à fond, Tintin. Empl-issez vo-s poumon-s de breathe-pol.imper. in depth Tintin fill-pol.imper. your-pl. lung-pl. with ce-t air pur et vivifi-ant, si fin, si léger, this-m. air(m) pur(m) and vivify-pres.prt. so fine(m) so light(m) si pétill-ant qu on a envie de le boi-re. so sparkle-pres.prt. that one have-sg.pres. desire of it drink-inf. (4) À vrai di-re, comme parfum, ceci ne ressembl-e pas in true(m) tell-inf. as perfume this not resemble-sg.pres. not 1 Those who know French will realise that many of the morphemes marked off by hyphens are actually not pronounced. However, such marking is justified more often than not because the morpheme may actually be pronounced in some contexts, or it may be recognized by a phonological effect on the stem to which it is added.

2 Linguistics Inflection and Derivation 2 précisé-ment à ce-lui d-u muguet! precise-ly to that-m. of-the(m.sg.) lily-of-the-valley(m) Tiens! 2 C es-t vrai! Say! It is-sg.pres. true () Ah! Mais voilá: nous côtoy-ons ce-t infect champ d épand-age ah but there it is we skirt-1pl.pres. that-m. filthy(m) field of spread-age oú l on dévers-e tou-s le-s détritrus, résidu-s et where one dump-sg.pres. all-pl. the-pl. trash remnant-pl. and fond-s de poubelle-s de l-a région. bottom-pl. of trash bin-pl. of the-f. region(f) (6) Et, m-a parole! Il y a de-s gens and my-f. word(f) it there have-sg.pres. [ there are ] of-the(pl) [ some ] people qui sembl-ent attir-é-s par c-ette pu-ant-eur! C es-t in-croy-able! who seem-pl.pres. attract-pst.prt.-pl. by that-f. stink-ing-ness it is-sg.pres. un-believe-able De-s Romanichel-s! of-the(pl) [ some ] Gypsies-pl. (7) Aucun sens de l hygiène, ce-s zouave-s-là! In-ou-ï! no(m) sense(m) of the hygiene those-pl. zouave -pl.-those un-hear-pst.prt. (9) Chut! Écout-ez! On dir-ait un enfant qui pleur-e shhh listen-pol.imper. one say-sg.condit. a(m) child(m) wuo cry-sg.pres. 2 Tiens literally means hold! in the singular imperative, but it now is treated as unit word used as an interjection. The zouaves were soldiers recruited into the French army from Berber tribes in north African in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The speaker here is using the term, clearly derogatorily, to mean something like people of eastern or north African extraction. I can t come up with an American equivalent, but it is probably something like Brish wog.

3 Linguistics Inflection and Derivation English Translation (2) Ah! Spring! The pretty month of May! Nature in all its freshness and renewal! () The twittering of the birds! These flowers of the woods! And these perfumes! This good odor of humus! Breathe deeply, Tintin. Fill your lungs with this pure and vitalizing air, so fine, so light, so sparkling that one would like to drink it (4) To tell the truth, as perfume, this doesn t exactly resemble that of the lily-of-thevalley! Say! It s true! () Ah! But there it is: we are passing by that filthy dumping ground where they dump all the trash, junk, and contents of trash bins from the area! (6) And, my word! There are some people who seem attracted by that stench.! It s unbelievable! Gypsies (7) No sense of hygiene, those Zouaves! Unheard of! (9) Shh! Listen! It sounds like a child who is crying

4 Linguistics Inflection and Derivation 4 Answers for Les bijoux de la Castafiore The answers here include all the examples of derivational and inflectional morphemes in the text. English derivational morphology. Find THREE derivational morphemes in the English text above and supply the information on the model of the example. 4 Panel # Word Affix Category effect Meaning of affix 1. 2 freshness -ness A N the quality of A 2. 2 renewal re- V V do V again 2 renewal -al V N the action/result of V 4. 4 deeply exactly -ly A V in the manner of A. vitalizing -ize A V induce the property A 6. vitalizing -ing V A having the state/activity of V sparkling dumping 7. 4 truth -th A N the quality of A 8. filthy -y N A having the quality of N 9. 6 attracted -(e)d V A having taken on the state of V 7 unheard stench internal V N the property implied by V unbelievable -able V A able to undergo V un- A A not A unbelievable unheard English inflectional morphology. Find TWO DISTINCT inflectional morphemes in the English text above and supply the information in the table. Panel # Word Affix Stem Dimension Category (N, V, A) 1. 2 its -s Pro case genitive 2., etc. birds -s N number plural flowers woods perfumes, etc.. these -ese Det number plural 4 this -is Det number singular. passing -ing V aspect progressive 9 crying 6. 9 sounds -s V tense/agree. present/sg. 4 Although the ing suffix resembles the present participle, which would generally be considered inflectional (but see Haspelmath, page??), there is also an ing ending that makes nouns out of verbs. This is the default ending for verbs that do not have a special form like arrival, amusement, instruction, etc. Normally demonstratives would be considered unit words, but since the demonstratives all have the formative th-, one might call the remaineder of the word an inflection.

5 Linguistics Inflection and Derivation French derivational morphology. Find FOUR derivational morphemes in the French text and supply the information in the table headings. Panel # Word Affix Category effect Meaning of affix 1. 2 fraîcheur -eur A N the quality of A 6 puanteur 2. 2 renouveau re- N/A A 6 have quality A again. vivifiant -ant V A having the state/activity of V 6 pétillant puanteur 4. 4 précisément -ment A Adv in the manner of A. épandage -age V N result of V 6. 6 attirés -é V A having taken on the state of V 7 inouï -í 7. 6 incroyable -able V A able to undergo V incroyable inouï in- A A not A French inflectional morphology. Find FOUR DISTINCT inflectional morphemes in the French text and supply the information in the table headings. Panel # Word Affix Stem Dimension Category (N, V, A) 1. 2 le -e Det gender masculine, etc la -a Det gender feminine 6 la ma. 2 toute -e A gender feminine bonne 4. 2 du -u Det gender/num. masc./sing. 4., 6, des ces vos les fleurs parfums poumons résidus fonds poubelles zouaves-là -s Det number plural -s N number plural 6 Renouveau is a rather strange construction. The base is the adjective nouveau new, but adjectives can be used as nouns in French, and the phrase du nouveau of the renewal shows that it has to be understood as a noun. However, the prefix re- cannot be combined with a noun. Hence, the derivation must be to create the adjective, then use the whole thing as a noun.

6 Linguistics Inflection and Derivation 6 7., 6 cette -ette Det gender feminine 8. respirez -ez V mood imperative 9 emplissez écoutez 9. cet -t Det gender masculine 10. boire -re V dep. V form infinitive dire ressemble déverse pleure -e V tense/agree. pres./ sing celui -lui Det gender masculine 1. 4 est -t V tense/agree. pres./ sing. 14. cötoyons -ons V tense/agree. pres./1 pl. 1. tous -s A number plural 6 attirés semblent -ent V tense/agree. pres./ pl zouaves-là -là N determination def. distal dirait -ait V tense/agree. condit./ sing.