On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans
Text in English === Underlying many formal approaches to linguistics is the fundamental, philosophical assumption that categories are discrete entities. This assumption also underlies two contemporary formal approaches to morphology which seek to account for the stress and distributional properties...
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Online Access: | Savini, Marina (1991) On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24835> http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24835 |
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ndltd-netd.ac.za-oai-union.ndltd.org-unisa-oai-uir.unisa.ac.za-10500-248352018-11-19T17:16:02Z On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans Savini, Marina Hendrikse, A. P. 439.365 Afrikaans language -- Morphology Afrikaans language -- Affixes Text in English Underlying many formal approaches to linguistics is the fundamental, philosophical assumption that categories are discrete entities. This assumption also underlies two contemporary formal approaches to morphology which seek to account for the stress and distributional properties of derivational affixes in complex words. A study of these two approaches, the level-ordering and the category distinction approaches, reveals that both are faced with the same set of counterexamples in English. Specifically, they are faced with certain derivational affixes which display uncharacteristic distributional properties. In order to deal with such affixes the approaches resort to a variety of ad hoc mechanisms whose sole purpose is to save them from refutation. The argument offered in this thesis is that the problem with both approaches lies with the background assumption about categories which underlies their work. There is, however, an alternative conception of the nature of categories that has been widely supported by experimental research in the field of cognitive psychology, viz. that categories are non-discrete or continuous entities which are distributed along a continuum. In the thesis it is argued that, by adopting this conception of categories, a more adequate account can be given of the gradient differences between category members both inter- and intra-categorially. This argument will be illustrated with specific reference to affix categories in Afrikaans. Linguistics and Modern Languages D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics) 2018-09-12T10:59:09Z 2018-09-12T10:59:09Z 1991-11 Thesis Savini, Marina (1991) On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24835> http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24835 en 1 online resource (v, 361 leaves) |
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439.365 Afrikaans language -- Morphology Afrikaans language -- Affixes |
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439.365 Afrikaans language -- Morphology Afrikaans language -- Affixes Savini, Marina On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans |
description |
Text in English === Underlying many formal approaches to linguistics is the fundamental, philosophical assumption that categories are discrete entities. This assumption also underlies two contemporary formal approaches to morphology which seek to account for the stress and
distributional properties of derivational affixes in complex words. A study of these two approaches, the level-ordering and the category distinction approaches, reveals that both are faced with the same set of counterexamples in English. Specifically, they are faced with certain derivational affixes which display uncharacteristic distributional properties. In order to deal with such affixes the approaches resort to a variety of ad hoc mechanisms whose sole purpose is to save them from refutation. The argument offered in this thesis is that the problem with both approaches lies with the background assumption about categories which underlies their work. There is, however, an alternative conception of the nature of categories that has been widely supported by experimental research in the field of cognitive psychology, viz. that categories are non-discrete or continuous
entities which are distributed along a continuum. In the thesis it is argued that, by adopting this conception of categories, a more adequate account can be given of the gradient differences between category members both inter- and intra-categorially. This argument will be illustrated with specific reference to affix categories in Afrikaans. === Linguistics and Modern Languages === D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics) |
author2 |
Hendrikse, A. P. |
author_facet |
Hendrikse, A. P. Savini, Marina |
author |
Savini, Marina |
author_sort |
Savini, Marina |
title |
On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans |
title_short |
On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans |
title_full |
On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans |
title_fullStr |
On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans |
title_sort |
on the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in afrikaans |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
Savini, Marina (1991) On the (non-)discreteness of morphological categories with special reference to affix categories in Afrikaans, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24835> http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24835 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT savinimarina onthenondiscretenessofmorphologicalcategorieswithspecialreferencetoaffixcategoriesinafrikaans |
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