Morphological complexity: Typology as a tool for delineating cognitive organization
Workshop on Morphological Complexity and Linguistic Theory
The workshop 'Morphological Complexity and Linguistic Theory' was held on 22 January 2010, at Harvard University, and was co-hosted by the Linguistics Department. Organizers were Matthew Baerman, Greville Corbett and Dunstan Brown (University of Surrey), and Maria Polinsky (Harvard University).
Background
By the term 'morphological complexity', we understand the extra layer of structure that morphological systems may introduce in between meaning and its expression, such as inflection classes or stem alternations. This layer may operate at cross-purposes to functional distinctions, attaining in some languages an astonishing degree of complexity. Such apparently abritrary distinction in form (inflection classes, irregularity and similar phenomena) are the particular focus of this project.
Programme
22 January 2010
| 10.00 - 10.15 | Maria Polinsky (Harvard University), 'Welcome' |
| 10.15 - 11.15 | Greville G. Corbett, Matthew Baerman, Dunstan Brown & Scott Collier (University of Surrey), 'Introduction to the Surrey Morphology Group project' |
| 11.15 - 11.45 | Break |
| 11.45 - 12.45 | Gregory Stump & Raphael Finkel (University of Kentucky), 'Principal parts and morphological analysis' |
| 12.45 - 13.45 | Lunch |
| 13.45 - 14.15 | Dunstan Brown (University of Surrey), 'Compression and morphological complexity: An evaluation' |
| 14.15 - 14.45 | Rob Malouf & Farrell Ackerman (San Diego State & U.C. San Diego), 'Paradigm entropy as a measure of morphological simplicity' |
| 14.45 - 15.15 | Reut Tsarfaty (University of Amsterdam), 'Relational-realizational modeling for complex morphology in parsing' |
| 15.15 - 15.45 | Break |
| 15.45 - 16.15 | Amy Campbell (U.C. Berkeley), 'Discontinuous exponence in inflectional morphology' |
| 16.15 - 16.45 | Erich Round (Yale University), 'New discoveries from an old friend: Extreme, autonomous morphological complexity in Kayardild' |
| 16.45 - 17.15 | Claire Bowern (Yale University), 'Morphological complexity in historical change' |
| 17.15 - 17.30 | Closing remarks |
Project members
Prof Greville G. Corbett
Dr Matthew Baerman
Prof Dunstan Brown (University of York)
Dr Scott Collier
Dr Maris Camilleri
Period of award:
February 2009 - January 2015
Funder
European Research Council (ERC)
TOP