Week 2a. Morphosyntactic features, part II. Ch. 2, 4.2- CAS LX 522 Syntax I

Week 2a. Morphosyntactic Week 2a. Morphosyntactic features, part II.features, part II.

Ch. 2, 4.2-Ch. 2, 4.2-

CAS LX 522CAS LX 522Syntax ISyntax I

Lexical itemsLexical items

Recall that part of our language Recall that part of our language knowledge is the knowledge of the knowledge is the knowledge of the lexicon.lexicon.

The lexicon is a list of the “words”The lexicon is a list of the “words” More accurately, it is a list of the things More accurately, it is a list of the things

sentences are made of.sentences are made of. It is traditionally considered to be where It is traditionally considered to be where

“unpredictable” information is stored. “unpredictable” information is stored. The sound, the meaning, the grammatical The sound, the meaning, the grammatical category and other features. category and other features.

Features of lexical itemsFeatures of lexical items A lexical item is a bundle of properties. It is a meaning, paired A lexical item is a bundle of properties. It is a meaning, paired

with instructions for pronunciation, paired with syntactic with instructions for pronunciation, paired with syntactic properties like category.properties like category.

We represent these properties as We represent these properties as featuresfeatures—any —any given lexical item hasgiven lexical item has Semantic featuresSemantic features Phonological featuresPhonological features Syntactic featuresSyntactic features

When it comes to syntax, syntactic features certainly matter. When it comes to syntax, syntactic features certainly matter. But no language seems to arrange its sentences such that But no language seems to arrange its sentences such that words that start with words that start with tt are first. are first.

Hypothesis: Syntax can only “see” syntactic Hypothesis: Syntax can only “see” syntactic features.features.

English pronounsEnglish pronouns The English pronouns make several distinctions The English pronouns make several distinctions

over and above a singular/plural distinction.over and above a singular/plural distinction. One distinction is in One distinction is in personperson, which is sensitive , which is sensitive

to who is talking and to whom.to who is talking and to whom. English (and most languages) distinguish three English (and most languages) distinguish three

persons. persons.

singular plural

first person I we

second person you you

third person he/she/it they

English pronounsEnglish pronouns We do not want model this with three We do not want model this with three

independent person features [1], [2], and [3], independent person features [1], [2], and [3], since that would predict eight persons (e.g., [1,3], since that would predict eight persons (e.g., [1,3], [1,2,3]). With two features, we only predict four.[1,2,3]). With two features, we only predict four.

By eliminating [3], we predict the system below, By eliminating [3], we predict the system below, plus the [1,2] combination that is not plus the [1,2] combination that is not morphologically distinguished in English.morphologically distinguished in English.

singular plural

first person [1] I we

second person [2] you you

third person [ ] he/she/it they

Fourth personFourth person

If [1] indicates the person speaking and [2] If [1] indicates the person speaking and [2] indicates the person spoken to, what indicates the person spoken to, what should [1,2] indicate?should [1,2] indicate? [1,2,pl][1,2,pl] = = wewe (including you). (including you). [1,pl][1,pl] = = wewe (not including you). (not including you).

Some languages make this distinction Some languages make this distinction morphologically, e.g., Dakota. No morphologically, e.g., Dakota. No languages seem to distinguish 8 persons.languages seem to distinguish 8 persons.

GenderGender

Many languages distinguish nouns on Many languages distinguish nouns on the basis of “gender” as well.the basis of “gender” as well. English:English: he/she/it (3rd person he/she/it (3rd person

pronouns)pronouns)

Gender often comes in 2-3 flavors Gender often comes in 2-3 flavors (masculine, feminine, neuter) which (masculine, feminine, neuter) which often corresponds roughly to often corresponds roughly to biological gender where applicable.biological gender where applicable.

Phi-features (Phi-features (-features)-features)

Collectively, Collectively, personperson, , numbernumber, and , and gender gender features are referred to as features are referred to as --featuresfeatures..

These are the features that are These are the features that are generally involved in subject-verb generally involved in subject-verb agreement.agreement.

Case featuresCase features

English pronouns also change form English pronouns also change form depending on where they are in the depending on where they are in the sentence, what their syntactic role is.sentence, what their syntactic role is.

He left. I saw him. He saw me.He left. I saw him. He saw me. The information about syntactic position is The information about syntactic position is

encoded by encoded by case featurescase features.. In English, case is only visible on pronouns.In English, case is only visible on pronouns. In many other languages, case is visible on all In many other languages, case is visible on all

nouns (and sometimes on words modifying nouns (and sometimes on words modifying nouns, like adjectives or determiners)nouns, like adjectives or determiners)

Case namesCase names In English, we distinguish In English, we distinguish nominativenominative

(on subjects), (on subjects), genitivegenitive (on possessors), (on possessors), and and accusativeaccusative (elsewhere).(elsewhere).

Singular Plural

Nom Acc Gen Nom Acc Gen

I me my we us our

you you your you you your

he him his they them their

she her her they them their

it it its they them their

Features and pronunciationFeatures and pronunciation Recall that lexical Recall that lexical

items are bundles items are bundles of features.of features. Like [Acc, 1, sg, Like [Acc, 1, sg,

PRN]PRN] The syntactic The syntactic

system arranges system arranges these lexical items these lexical items into sentences, and into sentences, and then hands the then hands the result off to the A-P result off to the A-P and C-I systems (at and C-I systems (at the interfaces).the interfaces).

Singular Plural


I me my we us our





At the A-P interface,At the A-P interface,[Acc, 1, sg, PRN][Acc, 1, sg, PRN] is is interpreted as “interpreted as “meme”.”.

Features and pronunciationFeatures and pronunciation Notice that the Notice that the

pronoun paradigm pronoun paradigm does not make every does not make every possible distinction.possible distinction. Only 3rd person Only 3rd person

singular distinguishes singular distinguishes gender forms.gender forms.

2nd person does not 2nd person does not distinguish number or distinguish number or between Nom and Acc.between Nom and Acc.

3rd person singular 3rd person singular feminine doesn’t feminine doesn’t distinguish between distinguish between Acc and Gen.Acc and Gen.

Singular Plural


I me my we us our





This structure can give us This structure can give us a hint about how the a hint about how the interface rules work—more interface rules work—more on this in a moment.on this in a moment.

Verbal featuresVerbal features Some features are specific to verbs…Some features are specific to verbs… [past][past], for example, differentiating , for example, differentiating write write from from

wrotewrote, , kick kick from from kickedkicked. This is a . This is a tensetense feature. feature. Some languages have a special form of the verb Some languages have a special form of the verb

for future as well, for future as well, [future][future].. We can characterize present tense as being non-We can characterize present tense as being non-

past, non-future.past, non-future. In English, future is expressed in other ways, with a In English, future is expressed in other ways, with a

modal (modal (willwill) or with the verb ) or with the verb gogo. English does not . English does not seem to make use of the [future] feature; in English seem to make use of the [future] feature; in English we have just past and non-past.we have just past and non-past.

(cf. duals and the use of the [sg] feature on nouns)(cf. duals and the use of the [sg] feature on nouns)

ParticiplesParticiples English verbs can also take on a English verbs can also take on a participleparticiple form: form:

writingwriting, , writtenwritten.. These don’t express tense, but rather These don’t express tense, but rather aspectaspect..

The -The -inging form is the “ form is the “present participlepresent participle” and appears ” and appears after the auxiliary verb after the auxiliary verb bebe, indicating a continuing , indicating a continuing event.event.

The -The -en en form is the “form is the “past participlepast participle” and appears after ” and appears after the auxiliary verb the auxiliary verb havehave, indicating a completed event., indicating a completed event.

Tense can still be expressed—on the auxiliary: Tense can still be expressed—on the auxiliary: I have I have writtenwritten, , I had writtenI had written, , I am writingI am writing, , I was writingI was writing..

Adger’sAdger’s proposal: proposal: Present participle:Present participle: [V, part][V, part] ((writingwriting)) Past participle:Past participle: [V, part, past][V, part, past] ((writtenwritten))

Bare verb/infinitiveBare verb/infinitive I want to win the lottery.I want to win the lottery. The bare form of the verb (often appearing The bare form of the verb (often appearing

after after toto) is the ) is the infinitiveinfinitive.. We will assign infinitive forms the feature We will assign infinitive forms the feature

[Inf][Inf]..

The fact that the infinitive is a bare verb (no The fact that the infinitive is a bare verb (no suffixes or other inflection) in English may be suffixes or other inflection) in English may be something of a coincidence. Other languages something of a coincidence. Other languages mark the infinitive with a special verb form, mark the infinitive with a special verb form, on a par with participles or tensed verbs.on a par with participles or tensed verbs.

Verb agreementVerb agreement Verbs very often (across languages) agree Verbs very often (across languages) agree

with the subject in with the subject in -features as well.-features as well. I eat bagels. He eats bagels. They eat bagels.I eat bagels. He eats bagels. They eat bagels.

However, However, eateat isn’t really “plural” in any sense. isn’t really “plural” in any sense. Plurality is a property of the subject, but it is Plurality is a property of the subject, but it is reflectedreflected in the morphology of the verb. in the morphology of the verb. This may be the clearest example of the distinction This may be the clearest example of the distinction

between between interpretableinterpretable and and uninterpretableuninterpretable features. The features. The -features are interpretable on the -features are interpretable on the noun, but uninterpretable on the verb. (We’ll noun, but uninterpretable on the verb. (We’ll continue to discuss this distinction)continue to discuss this distinction)

Verb agreementVerb agreement In English, only In English, only finitefinite verbs show verbs show

agreement (those that are not infinitives agreement (those that are not infinitives or participles).or participles). In fact, only In fact, only present tensepresent tense verbs do, with the verbs do, with the

single exception of thesingle exception of the copulacopula ((bebe).).

In other languages, agreement sometimes In other languages, agreement sometimes appears on other forms. Participles, for appears on other forms. Participles, for example, sometimes agree with their example, sometimes agree with their object. Infinitives very rarely agree with object. Infinitives very rarely agree with anything.anything.

A brief excursionA brief excursion

We’ve determined that English We’ve determined that English differentiates past and nonpast, and Adger differentiates past and nonpast, and Adger suggests looking at this as a suggests looking at this as a privativeprivative distinction, between having the feature distinction, between having the feature [past] and not having it.[past] and not having it.

So far, this makes the same combinatorial So far, this makes the same combinatorial predictions as a binary feature [±past] predictions as a binary feature [±past] would.would.

Is there any way to decide which is better?Is there any way to decide which is better?

The morphology of The morphology of bebe Suppose our features Suppose our features

are privative and we are privative and we want to lay out some want to lay out some pronunciation rules for pronunciation rules for the A-P interface for the A-P interface for the verb the verb bebe..

There are only five There are only five different different pronunciations for the pronunciations for the 12 cells in the 12 cells in the paradigm.paradigm.

[past]

[pl] [pl]

[1] 1 am are was were

[2] 2 are are were were

3 is are was were

Suppose that our Suppose that our pronunciation rules at pronunciation rules at the interface look at the interface look at the feature bundle the feature bundle and determine the and determine the pronunciation.pronunciation.

The morphology of The morphology of bebe Pronunciation rules:Pronunciation rules:

[pl, past] = were[pl, past] = were [pl] = are[pl] = are

The way this works is The way this works is that the that the most specificmost specific rule that rule that matches the matches the features features takes priority.takes priority.

Features not Features not mentioned don’t mentioned don’t matter.matter.

[past]

[pl] [pl]



3 is are was were

[1, pl, past][1, pl, past] yields “ yields “werewere”” [1, pl][1, pl] yields “ yields “areare”” [2, pl, past][2, pl, past] yields “ yields “werewere”” ……


[pl, past] = were[pl, past] = were [pl] = are[pl] = are

So let’s try to work out So let’s try to work out the rest of the rules.the rest of the rules. Notice that Notice that amam and and is is

only appear in one cell; only appear in one cell; they are the most they are the most specific. specific. WasWas appears appears in 2, in 2, areare appears in 3, appears in 3, were were appears in 4.appears in 4.

[past]

[pl] [pl]



3 is are was were


[pl, past] = were[pl, past] = were [1, past] = was[1, past] = was [2, past] = were[2, past] = were [3, past] = was[3, past] = was [pl] = are[pl] = are [1] = am[1] = am [2] = are[2] = are [3] = is[3] = is [past]

[pl] [pl]



3 is are was were

We find that We find that we have more we have more rules than pronunciationsrules than pronunciations— — two rules each for two rules each for werewere, , waswas, , and and areare..

But what if we could refer to But what if we could refer to the the absence absence of [pl]?of [pl]?

The morphology of The morphology of bebe If our features are If our features are

binary, we can binary, we can come up with a come up with a much more much more economical set of economical set of pronunciation pronunciation rules, one per rules, one per pronunciation.pronunciation. [-past] [+past]

[-pl] [+pl] [-pl] [-pl]

[+1,-2] 1 am are was were

[-1,+2] 2 are are were were

[-1,-2] 3 is are was were

The morphology of The morphology of bebe Notice also that Notice also that werewere, ,

which occupies the which occupies the most cells in the most cells in the paradigm, is treated paradigm, is treated as a as a defaultdefault in these in these rules. You pronounce rules. You pronounce werewere if no other rule if no other rule matches.matches.

[-past] [+past]

[-pl] [+pl] [-pl] [-pl]




[+1, -past, -pl] = am[+1, -past, -pl] = am [+1, -past] = is[+1, -past] = is [-1] = was[-1] = was [-past] = are[-past] = are [] = were[] = were

The morphology of The morphology of bebe This fact can be taken in as This fact can be taken in as

support for viewing these support for viewing these features as binary valued, features as binary valued, rather than privative.rather than privative.

You can You can writewrite pronunciation rules using pronunciation rules using either system, but one either system, but one system yields significantly system yields significantly more elegant results.more elegant results.

[-past] [+past]

[-pl] [+pl] [-pl] [-pl]




[+1, -past, -pl] = am[+1, -past, -pl] = am [+1, -past] = is[+1, -past] = is [-1] = was[-1] = was [-past] = are[-past] = are [] = were[] = were

Bibliographical note and Bibliographical note and comment about the futurecomment about the future

This view of the syntax-morphology interface, This view of the syntax-morphology interface, when you get out to the literature, generally when you get out to the literature, generally goes by the name “goes by the name “Distributed MorphologyDistributed Morphology” so ” so named because the pronunciation rules are named because the pronunciation rules are relatively separate from the syntactic rules. The relatively separate from the syntactic rules. The primary source for this is Halle & Marantz primary source for this is Halle & Marantz (1993) (in Adger’s bibliography).(1993) (in Adger’s bibliography).

For our purposes in this class, we will actually not spend For our purposes in this class, we will actually not spend much more time analyzing pronunciation rules or even much more time analyzing pronunciation rules or even worrying about whether features should be privative or worrying about whether features should be privative or binary— we will usually simply label feature bundles like binary— we will usually simply label feature bundles like [+N,-V] as [N], [-pl] as [sg]. But this is a convenience, there [+N,-V] as [N], [-pl] as [sg]. But this is a convenience, there are interesting questions to explore at this lower level as are interesting questions to explore at this lower level as well— outside of this class, we have plenty of other things to well— outside of this class, we have plenty of other things to do.do.

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Week 2a. Morphosyntactic features, part II. Ch. 2, 4.2- CAS LX 522 Syntax I