The Embick lectures

CRISSP is happy to announce a three-day lecture series on the syntax-morphology interface.

Lecturer: David Embick (UPenn)

Title: Cyclic and linear dimensions of morphological locality

Date & time: 4, 5, 6 June, 10:00-13:00

Location: CRISSP/Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel, Stormstraat 2, room 6303

Participation: free

Abstract: Cyclic and linear dimensions of morphological locality

  1. The general nature of contextual allomorphy, and what it reveals about the interaction of syntactic cycles with morphology. An overview of some of the key phenomena and background treatments, and an outline of the approach developed in Embick (2010). New looks at some existing case studies and some novel issues (e.g. “rebracketing” and its relation to linearity and locality) as well.
  2. Extension of the theory of contextual allomorphy into the core question of morphophonology: whether “stem alternations” and related phenomena require (i) storage of alternants versus (ii) (morpheme specific) phonological rules. Illustration from English and related languages (e.g. _sing/sang_) in the past tense, and detailed case studies from Spanish and Italian verbs. A main theme is the argument that “stem storage” would be a form of contextual allomorphy for Roots; therefore, a primary goal is to look at the locality conditions on stem changes, and see if they are the same as those found in contextual allomorphy.
  3. Limits to what can be derived from “phase impenetrability” on the PF side. Studies are presented of cases in which it appears that elements that are “inactive” cyclically are nevertheless altered phonologically. A question will be posed as to what types of changes may apply to elements that are inactive in this way. The overall theme is that such unexpected interactions arise because of the linear nature of different PF representations.