34.3129, Confs: Lexical Affixes
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LINGUIST List: Vol-34-3129. Sun Oct 22 2023. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.
Subject: 34.3129, Confs: Lexical Affixes
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Date: 20-Oct-2023
From: Kasper Boye [boye at hum.ku.dk]
Subject: Lexical Affixes
Lexical Affixes
Date: 21-Aug-2024 - 24-Aug-2024
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Contact: Kasper Boye
Contact Email: boye at hum.ku.dk
Meeting URL:
https://societaslinguistica.eu/sle2024/list-of-workshop-proposals/
Linguistic Field(s): Typology
Meeting Description:
SLE 2024 WS on lexical affixes. Send abstract (max 300 words) to
boye at hum.ku.dk before November 13. See preliminary description below.
Kasper Boye, Mads Nielsen, Johanne Nedergård (University of
Copenhagen)
Affixes are often assumed to belong to grammar as opposed to the
lexicon. For instance, the call for papers for a recent symposium of
affixes states that “[a]ffixes are a part of grammar […]”
(https://sites.utu.fi/affixes/call-for-papers/). This assumption has
been challenged by studies of affixes especially in languages in
northwestern North American. Since Kinkade (1963a; 1963b), affixes
characteristic of that area have been characterized as lexical. Mithun
(1997) and Bischoff (2011) describe the relevant affixes as forming
classes that are rather large, yet relatively closed. Crucially, they
are all semantically related to roots within the language, or have
‘root-like meanings’.
The discussion of lexical affixes has been hampered by the absence of
a coherent theory of the lexical-grammatical distinction. According to
the theory outlined in Boye & Harder (2012) and Boye (2023a), the
distinction is defined in terms of conventionalized potential for
discourse prominence. Among other things, the theory entails that only
lexical elements can be modified (cf. Keizer 2007).
In line with this theory (but predating it), Mithun has argued that
the “lexical affixes” discussed above are in fact grammatical: they
are used to convey “information that is semantically or pragmatically
subordinate within a particular context” (Mithun 1997: 369).
While at least some of the affixes that have been characterized as
lexical may in fact be grammatical, the usage-based theory entails
that affixes that are truly lexical can be identified. Some of what
Mattissen (2017: 72–74) calls “non-root bound morphemes” seem to be
cases in point. For instance, some Kalaallisut manner suffixes are
lexical by the modification criterion. Thus, the suffix -pallag
‘quickly’ can be modified by means of the degree suffix -ngaar ‘very’.
In this workshop, we welcome contributions that address the following
issues pertaining to lexical affixes.
Empirical issues
- What are the characteristics of lexical affixes?
- What is the range of functions lexical affixes may have?
- At which positions in the affix order are lexical affixes
typically found?
- How are lexical affixes formed diachronically, and how may
they develop further?
Methodological issues
- How can lexical affixes be identified?
- Which challenges does identification present?
Theoretical issues
- On which theoretical basis may lexical affixes be identified?
- How do lexical affixes differ functionally from grammatical
affixes and from non-bound morphemes?
- What are the implications of lexical affixes for our
understanding of words, the morphology-syntax distinction, and
polysynthesis?
References
Bischoff, S.T. 2011. Lexical affixes, incorporation, and conflation:
The case of Coeur d’Alene. Studia Linguistica 65.1.
Boye, K. 2023. Grammaticalization as conventionalization of discourse
secondary status: Deconstructing the lexical-grammatical continuum.
Transactions of the Philological Society 121.2.
Boye, K & P. Harder. 2012: A usage-based theory of grammatical status
and grammaticalization. Language 88.1.
Keizer, E. 2007. The lexical-grammatical dichotomy in Functional
Discourse Grammar. Alfa – Revista de Lingüística 51.2.
Kinkade, M.D. 1963a. Phonology and morphology of Upper Chehalis I.
International Journal of American Linguistics 29.3.
Kinkade, M.D. 1963b. Phonology and morphology of Upper Chehalis II.
International Journal of American Linguistics 29.4.
Mattissen, J. 2017. Sub-types of polysynthesis. In M.D. Fortescue, M.
Mithun & N. Evans (eds.), The Oxford handbook of polysynthesis, 70–98.
Oxford: OUP.
Mithun, M. 1997. Lexical affixes and morphological typology. In J.L.
Bybee, J. Haiman & S. A. Thompson (eds.), Essays on language function
and language type. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
SLE 2024 WS on lexical affixes. Send abstract (max 300 words) to
boye at hum.ku.dk before November 13. See preliminary description below.
Kasper Boye, Mads Nielsen, Johanne Nedergård (University of
Copenhagen)
Affixes are often assumed to belong to grammar as opposed to the
lexicon. For instance, the call for papers for a recent symposium of
affixes states that “[a]ffixes are a part of grammar […]”
(https://sites.utu.fi/affixes/call-for-papers/). This assumption has
been challenged by studies of affixes especially in languages in
northwestern North American. Since Kinkade (1963a; 1963b), affixes
characteristic of that area have been characterized as lexical. Mithun
(1997) and Bischoff (2011) describe the relevant affixes as forming
classes that are rather large, yet relatively closed. Crucially, they
are all semantically related to roots within the language, or have
‘root-like meanings’.
The discussion of lexical affixes has been hampered by the absence of
a coherent theory of the lexical-grammatical distinction. According to
the theory outlined in Boye & Harder (2012) and Boye (2023a), the
distinction is defined in terms of conventionalized potential for
discourse prominence. Among other things, the theory entails that only
lexical elements can be modified (cf. Keizer 2007).
In line with this theory (but predating it), Mithun has argued that
the “lexical affixes” discussed above are in fact grammatical: they
are used to convey “information that is semantically or pragmatically
subordinate within a particular context” (Mithun 1997: 369).
While at least some of the affixes that have been characterized as
lexical may in fact be grammatical, the usage-based theory entails
that affixes that are truly lexical can be identified. Some of what
Mattissen (2017: 72–74) calls “non-root bound morphemes” seem to be
cases in point. For instance, some Kalaallisut manner suffixes are
lexical by the modification criterion. Thus, the suffix -pallag
‘quickly’ can be modified by means of the degree suffix -ngaar ‘very’.
In this workshop, we welcome contributions that address the following
issues pertaining to lexical affixes.
Empirical issues
- What are the characteristics of lexical affixes?
- What is the range of functions lexical affixes may have?
- At which positions in the affix order are lexical affixes
typically found?
- How are lexical affixes formed diachronically, and how may
they develop further?
Methodological issues
- How can lexical affixes be identified?
- Which challenges does identification present?
Theoretical issues
- On which theoretical basis may lexical affixes be identified?
- How do lexical affixes differ functionally from grammatical
affixes and from non-bound morphemes?
- What are the implications of lexical affixes for our
understanding of words, the morphology-syntax distinction, and
polysynthesis?
References
Bischoff, S.T. 2011. Lexical affixes, incorporation, and conflation:
The case of Coeur d’Alene. Studia Linguistica 65.1.
Boye, K. 2023. Grammaticalization as conventionalization of discourse
secondary status: Deconstructing the lexical-grammatical continuum.
Transactions of the Philological Society 121.2.
Boye, K & P. Harder. 2012: A usage-based theory of grammatical status
and grammaticalization. Language 88.1.
Keizer, E. 2007. The lexical-grammatical dichotomy in Functional
Discourse Grammar. Alfa – Revista de Lingüística 51.2.
Kinkade, M.D. 1963a. Phonology and morphology of Upper Chehalis I.
International Journal of American Linguistics 29.3.
Kinkade, M.D. 1963b. Phonology and morphology of Upper Chehalis II.
International Journal of American Linguistics 29.4.
Mattissen, J. 2017. Sub-types of polysynthesis. In M.D. Fortescue, M.
Mithun & N. Evans (eds.), The Oxford handbook of polysynthesis, 70–98.
Oxford: OUP.
Mithun, M. 1997. Lexical affixes and morphological typology. In J.L.
Bybee, J. Haiman & S. A. Thompson (eds.), Essays on language function
and language type. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
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