Query: discontinuous morphology

[Johanna Rubba]

I am preparing an article for a forthcoming typology handbook on
'introflection', a.k.a. 'discontinuous' or 'nonconcatenative' morphology.
I have a few questions that I am researching via databases, but would
appreciate any tips that would shorten my search time while helping me
achieve good coverage for a handbook of this type. The questions are:

(a) Is very thoroughgoing discontinuous morphology** found in language
families _other_ than the Semitic? If so, which languages/families?
(b) Among currently living Semitic languages/dialects, which use
discontinuous morphology in the verb and/or noun-pluralization systems
most productively, and which use it least productively?
(c) Is anyone in Optimality Theory (and/or other recent 'hot'
morphological theories) working on discontinuous morphology in Semitic or
other language families? [I have been out of this loop since finishing my
dissertation, on Modern Aramaic, in 1993]

** By this I don't mean the occasional construction in which noncontiguous
morphs recur with similar meanings, but rather whole (or nearly whole)
systems which employ discontinous morphemes/morphemes consisting of
noncontiguous morphs/phonemes.

If there is interest, I will post a summary to the list. In any case,  I
will acknowledge helpful sources in my article.

Thanks!

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Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics              ~
English Department, California Polytechnic State University   ~
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407                                     ~
Tel. (805)-756-2184  E-mail: jrubba at oboe.aix.calpoly.edu      ~
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