[Lexicog] Invariance and exploitation

[John Roberts]

Patrick,

I agree that verbs in Amele are words, but only in the word and paradigm 
model.

hel-ec 'to throw'
helecebheleceb-ec 'to throw to each other'

In both these examples -ec is the infinitive suffix and it is mutually 
substitutable with 22 different inflectional paradigms. Thus what precedes 
is the verb stem and this plus the verb inflection is a paradigm based on 
the verb-word as a unit.

For the item and arrangement model, verbs fail several of the constituent 
structure criteria. For example, the constituent parts of Amele verb-words 
can be rearranged. As already illustrated, the SIM "affix" can be placed at 
different locations within the verb-word:

he-hel-egin
SIM-throw-3pl.SU.DS
'as they threw ...'

hel-aad-egin
throw-SIM.3pl.DO-3pl.SU.DS
'as they threw them ...'

heliheli-eegin
          -SIM.3pl.SU.DS
'as they threw repeatedly'

With regard to words being noninterruptible, a range of modifiers (e.g. 
bahic 'really', himec 'only', qee 'not') can be placed within the verb-word.

However, verb-words do exhibit phonological cohesion. There is vowel harmony 
between the verb stem and the subject agreement in some inflections. If the 
vowel in the verb stem is *i* or *u* then o -> u in the subject agreement.

hel-oqo-na
throw-1pl.SU-PRES
'we are throwing'

sil-uqu-na
sing-1pl.SU-PRES
'we are singing'

But this vowel harmony is lost in the reciprocal and iterative forms.

helecebheleceb-oqo-na
                      -1pl.SU-PRES
'we are throwing to each other''

silecebsileceb-oqo-na
                    -1pl.SU-PRES
'we are singing to each other'

heliheli-oqo-na
          -1pl.SU-PRES
'we are throwing repeatedly'

silisili-oqo-na
        -1pl.SU-PRES
'we are singing repeatedly'

q = labio-velar stop

I think the Amele verb-forms pose a challenge to structural notions of what 
constitutes a word. My problem, though, is how do I enter all these possible 
verb-words in a dictionary? Any verb can have hundreds of derived 
infinitives and they are only semi-predictable for any particular verb.

John Roberts




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