Complement selection in morphology and syntax

Abstract

In this paper we discuss a recent proposal according to which: (1)derivational suffixes have a syntactic-like bar representation and (2) wordformation processes can be represented in terms of an X-bar syntax. Whilewe agree on the attribution of an argument structure to suffixes, we castsome doubt on the claim that such word-constituents are Complements of their(suffixal) selecting heads. We maintain that suffixes do not project as lexicalheads do and that a congurational X-bar structure in word formation is usefulonly to the extent that it represents the semantics (i.e., the LCS) of thewords selected by the suffix.