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2009-02-17T19:12:26Z

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'''Morpheme-based morphology''' is a theory in which it is assumed that [[word formation]] rules may operate over [[morpheme]]s (e.g. Halle (1973), Siegel (1974), Kiparsky (1982)). This theory is an alternative to the theory of [[word-based morphology]] (e.g. Aronoff (1976), Booij (1977), Scalise (1984)). In the latter theory it is assumed that new words are formed by applying a word formation rule to a single already existing word. Both the new word and the existing one are members of major lexical categories.

=== Example ===

English has the following verb classes:

(i) X=''fer'' X=''mit'' X=''sume'' X=''ceive'' X=''duce''
refer remit resume receive reduce
defer demit deceive deduce
confer commit consume conceive conduce
transfer transmit transduce

Apparently, we can isolate the prefixes ''re-, de-, con''-, and ''trans''- in these forms. However, the base forms ''fer, mit, sume, ceive'', and ''duce'' do not exist as independent words. In a word-based morphology the words in (i) cannot be formed by a regular word formation rule. In a morpheme-based morphology, on the other hand, it is allowed to generate these verbs by prefixation rules. The question whether morphology is word based or morpheme based is still alive, and yet undecided.

=== Links ===

[http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Morpheme-based+morphology&lemmacode=563 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics]

=== References ===

* Aronoff, M. 1976. ''Word Formation in Generative Grammar,'' MIT-press, Cambridge, Mass.
* Booij, G. E. 1977. ''Dutch Morphology: A Study of Word Formation in Generative Grammar,'' Foris, Dordrecht.
* Halle, M. 1973. ''Prolegomena to a Theory of Word-Formation,'' Linguistic Inquiry 4, pp. 451-464
* Kiparsky, P. 1982. ''From Cyclic Phonology to Lexical Phonology,'' in: Hulst, H. van der and N. Smith (eds.) The Structure of Phonological Representations (I), pp.131-175
* Scalise, S. 1984. ''Generative Morphology,'' Foris, Dordrecht.
* Siegel, D. 1974. ''Topics in English Morphology,'' PhD diss. MIT, Cambridge, Mass.

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[[Category:Morphology]]

Morpheme-based morphology - Revision history

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