Levels of Analysis and Word Classes (Root, Stem, Word)

Abstract

Abstract The chapter presents a systematic account of how the morphological levels of root, stem, and word interact with word class. Based on an input–output model for comparing word-class flexibility or rigidity at each level, it develops eight morphological word-class types. These types are established on a maximally broad empirical basis, including typological challenges like omnipredicative and nominalistic languages as they are described in the literature (Classical Nahuatl and Tagalog, respectively). As a result, the chapter confirms Haig’s (2006) and Lehmann’s (2008) generalization that there is a decrease in flexibility from root > stem > word if one only considers the morphological word-class types which can operate (almost) exhaustively in an individual language. Moreover, it shows that a systematic morphological approach comes with challenges for Lexeme Formation Rules and theories like Functional Discourse Grammar, Radical Construction Grammar, and Distributed Morphology.