What is morphology?

Abstract

Branches of linguistic theory: morphology as the study of ‘forms of words’. Morphology in antiquity, and in nineteenth century: flectional, isolating and agglutinating languages. Morphology in structural linguistics: fusion of morphology with syntax (Bloomfield, Chomsky); and with generative phonology. Revival of morphology since 1970s; morphology and historical linguistics. The scope of morphology . Double articulation of language; grammar vs phonology. Morphemes. Categories and inflections: inflections as markers, alternation of inflections. Compounds, word-formation. Limits of analysis: where should the division of words stop? Morphology and general linguistic theory . Is a general theory possible? Theories of motivation; of laws and universals. Problems of universality; different models appropriate to different languages. In the traditional view of language, words are put together to form sentences. The words differ from each other in both sound and meaning: clock and gong , for example, denote different sorts of object and are distinguished by different consonants at the beginning and end. Hence the sentences too will differ in sound and meaning, The clock has been sold being distinguished from The gong has been sold as a function of the words clock and gong . However, not only the words but also the construction and the ‘forms of words’ will vary from one individual sentence to another. The gong has been sold has a Passive construction, with the gong as Subject; contrast the Active He has sold the gong , in which it is Object.