The interaction of morphology and phonology - a functional approach

Paula Orzechowska (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań)

At the onset of linguistic studies, the architecture of language was conceived in terms of autonomous and self-governing grammatical components describing, among others, languages' sound patterns, word structure and the organization of words in sentences. Therefore phonology, morphology and syntax were studied separately as independent linguistic disciplines. With time, however, interest was invested in the investigation of relationships existing among the given grammar components. Linguists engaged in the discussion on the possible interaction between the specific grammar modules and the degree to which they influence each other. Such interaction was found between morphology and phonology, which resulted in the emergence of a new linguistic discipline, namely, morphonology. Detailed accounts on morphonology were proposed by advocates of Natural Phonology (Dressler 1984, 1985, 1989) and Lexical Phonology (Mohanan, 1982, 1983, 1985; Kiparsky, 1982,1985; Booij - Rubach, 1987). However, it seems that only an approach combining the assumptions of the two models would accurately describe the relations between morphology and phonology. The objective of the paper is twofold. First, it is to provide a comparison between the naturalist and lexicalist model of morphonology. This comparison will constitute the basis for the derivation of a novel theory of morphology, and, what follows, a new approach to morphonology. The model draws the functional framework from the lexicalist theories of Lexical Functional Grammar (Bresnan, 1982) and Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (Sag - Pollard, 1987). Second, an endeavor will be made to investigate the 'workings' of a new area of linguistic study of morphonotactics (Dziubalska-Kołaczyk - Dressler - Śledziński, 2005) from the presented functional perspective.

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