The evolution of complexity in Greek noun inflection
This thesis investigates the diachrony of inflection classes, with a particular focus on which notions of morphological complexity can be relevant as motivating factors for change in the structure of inflectional systems. The inflection of nouns in Greek is taken as a case study offering 2,500 years of relatively well-recorded development The changes directly affecting the inflectional marking of nouns from the (reconstructed) Proto-Indo-European origins of the language through to Modern Standard Greek are examined, together with the shifting relationship between inflection class and gender across this period. To address these issues, the evolution of the Greek noun system is modelled within the framework of Network Morphology, and quantitative metrics of complexity, including both information-entropy- and principal-parts-based approaches, are ap-plied to various stages of the languageâs history. This thesis demonstrates that, while complexity does play a role in many instances of ~internally-motivated~ morphological change, such change cannot be ascribed to a single unified notion of morphological complexity, but there are in fact multiple different types of complexity which can affect inflectional systems
Collier, Scott James
The evolution of complexity in Greek noun inflection. This thesis investigates the diachrony of inflection classes, with a particular focus on which notions of morphological complexity can be relevant as motivating factors for change in the structure of inflectional systems. The inflection of nouns in Greek is taken as a case study offering 2,500 years of relatively well-recorded development The changes directly affecting the inflectional marking of nouns from the (reconstructed) Proto-Indo-European origins of the language through to Modern Standard Greek are examined, together with the shifting relationship between inflection class and gender across this period. To address these issues, the evolution of the Greek noun system is modelled within the framework of Network Morphology, and quantitative metrics of complexity, including both information-entropy- and principal-parts-based approaches, are ap-plied to various stages of the languageâs history. This thesis demonstrates that, while complexity does play a role in many instances of ~internally-motivated~ morphological change, such change cannot be ascribed to a single unified notion of morphological complexity, but there are in fact multiple different types of complexity which can affect inflectional systems
evolution complexity greek noun inflection investigates inflection class particular_focus notion morphological complexity relevant motivating factor change structure inflectional system inflection noun greek take case_study offer relatively_well recorded development change directly affect inflectional marking noun reconstruct proto indo_european origin language modern standard greek examine together shift relationship inflection class_gender across_period address_issue evolution greek noun system model within_framework network morphology quantitative metric complexity include information principal parts based_approach various_stage language history demonstrates complexity play_role many instance internally motivated morphological change change ascribe single unified notion morphological complexity fact multiple different_type complexity affect inflectional system