Studies in German and English morphology, with special reference to 'linking elements'
This thesis is primarily concerned with the status and derivation of linking elements in German (and, to a lesser extent, English) compounds, with the question of whether such linking elements are inflections, and with problems caused by the apparently low predictability of such elements. A number of empirical and theoretical issues arising from this analysis are discussed - among those the claim found in recent research whereby German has retained the morphological category 'Stem', while English has lost this category. The thesis is couched in the framework of recent 'base-driven' Lexical Morphology and Phonology. The data under investigation supports a model of lexical stratification which posits three strata for German (root, stem and word-based respectively) and two (root and word-based respectively) for English. Chapter I provides an introduction to the theoretical background of the thesis, as well as well as addressing a number of notions and concepts which seem to be 'established' in linguistics, but which nevertheless appear to have defied full understanding or satisfactory definition - for example the difference between inflection and derivation; the difference between the morphological categories
Montgomery, Bettina Isensee
Studies in German and English morphology, with special reference to 'linking elements'. This thesis is primarily concerned with the status and derivation of linking elements in German (and, to a lesser extent, English) compounds, with the question of whether such linking elements are inflections, and with problems caused by the apparently low predictability of such elements. A number of empirical and theoretical issues arising from this analysis are discussed - among those the claim found in recent research whereby German has retained the morphological category 'Stem', while English has lost this category. The thesis is couched in the framework of recent 'base-driven' Lexical Morphology and Phonology. The data under investigation supports a model of lexical stratification which posits three strata for German (root, stem and word-based respectively) and two (root and word-based respectively) for English. Chapter I provides an introduction to the theoretical background of the thesis, as well as well as addressing a number of notions and concepts which seem to be 'established' in linguistics, but which nevertheless appear to have defied full understanding or satisfactory definition - for example the difference between inflection and derivation; the difference between the morphological categories
studies german_english morphology special_reference linking element primarily_concern status derivation link element german less_extent english compound question_whether link element inflection problem cause apparently low predictability element number empirical_theoretical issue_arise analysis discuss among claim find recent whereby german retain morphological category stem english lose category couch framework recent base driven lexical morphology phonology data investigation support model_lexical stratification posit german root stem word based respectively root word based respectively english provide introduction theoretical_background well well address number notion concepts seem established linguistics nevertheless appear full satisfactory definition example difference inflection derivation difference morphological category