CAS LX 522 Syntax ILexical itemsFeatures of lexical itemsEnglish pronounsSlide 5Fourth personGenderPhi-features (f-features)Case featuresCase namesFeatures and pronunciationSlide 12Verbal featuresParticiplesBare verb/infinitiveVerb agreementSlide 17A brief excursionThe morphology of beSlide 20Slide 21Slide 22Slide 23Slide 24Slide 25Bibliographical note and comment about the futureWeek 3a. Morphosyntactic Week 3a. Morphosyntactic features, part II.features, part II.Ch. 2, 4.2-Ch. 2, 4.2-CAS LX 522CAS LX 522Syntax ISyntax ILexical itemsLexical itemsRecall 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. The “unpredictable” information is stored. The sound, the meaning, the grammatical sound, the meaning, the grammatical category and other features. category and other features.Features of lexical itemsFeatures of lexical itemsA 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 given lexical —any given lexical item hasitem hasSemantic featuresSemantic featuresPhonological featuresPhonological featuresSyntactic featuresSyntactic featuresWhen 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 features.Hypothesis: Syntax can only “see” syntactic features.English pronounsEnglish pronounsThe 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 to , which is sensitive to who is talking and to whom.who is talking and to whom.English (and most languages) distinguish three English (and most languages) distinguish three persons. persons. singularsingularpluralpluralfirst personfirst personIIwewesecond personsecond personyouyouyouyouthird personthird personhe/she/ithe/she/ittheytheyEnglish pronounsEnglish pronounsWe do not want model this with three independent person We do not want model this with three independent person features [1], [2], and [3], since that would predict eight features [1], [2], and [3], since that would predict eight persons (e.g., [1,3], [1,2,3]). With two features, we only persons (e.g., [1,3], [1,2,3]). With two features, we only predict four.predict four.By eliminating [3], we predict the system below, plus the By eliminating [3], we predict the system below, plus the [1,2] combination that is not morphologically distinguished [1,2] combination that is not morphologically distinguished in English.in English.singularsingularpluralpluralfirst personfirst person[1][1]IIwewesecond personsecond person[2][2]youyouyouyouthird personthird person[ ][ ]he/she/ithe/she/ittheytheyFourth personFourth personIf [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.GenderGenderMany languages distinguish nouns on the Many languages distinguish nouns on the basis of “gender” as well.basis of “gender” as well.English:English: hehe//sheshe//itit (3rd person pronouns) (3rd person pronouns)Gender often comes in 2-3 flavors Gender often comes in 2-3 flavors (masculine, feminine, neuter) which often (masculine, feminine, neuter) which often corresponds roughly to biological gender corresponds roughly to biological gender where applicable.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 -features-features..These are the features that are generally These are the features that are generally involved in subject-verb agreement.involved in subject-verb agreement.Case featuresCase featuresEnglish pronouns also change form depending English pronouns also change form depending on where they are in the sentence, what their on where they are in the sentence, what their syntactic role is.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 nouns In many other languages, case is visible on all nouns (and sometimes on words modifying nouns, like (and sometimes on words modifying nouns, like adjectives or determiners)adjectives or determiners)Case namesCase namesIn English, we distinguish In English, we distinguish nominativenominative (on (on subjects), subjects), genitivegenitive (on possessors), and (on possessors), and accusativeaccusative
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