Morpho(phono)logy/Syntax Interface

Dear Colleagues,

An old idea supported by some authors is that morphology is a kind of ornamental property (Embick), somehow a superficial imperfection of language (Aronoff), motivated by the apparent lack of isomorphism between morphological and syntactic structures. This view appears to be simply speculative. If this were the case, we should ask ourselves why language should be committed to obscuring or complicating the relationship between interpretative (C-I) and sensorimotor (SM) systems with non-isomorphism and syncretism. Based on these considerations, the aim of this Issue is to provide a theoretical and descriptive discussion of the most crucial property of human language design, namely the relationship between syntax and syntactic categories, and the formal devices that express them. According to a traditional view, words provide the lexical content, while the rules of syntax would be responsible for the interpretative level of the sentence. In fact, in most languages, syntax is manifested through inflections and derivational affixes and other formal devices. Formal properties include morphological structure and its rules; order and other locality constraints on movement or the relationship between positions (subjacency and the articulation of categories; Rizzi 1997); and morphophonological tools such as stress distribution, often linked to focalization phenomena, and assimilative mechanisms (e.g. Raddoppiamento Fonosintattico, propagation, metaphony). All these aspects are engaged in making the syntactic objects interpretable, through transfer and externalization, at the SM and C-I interpretive systems. Morphosyntax is, therefore, a substantial topic that generativists address based on a strong hypothesis on the nature of linguistic design. Our aim is to combine the reflection of partially different conceptual perspectives towards an articulated and in-depth analysis of this interface, in view of different sensibilities, experiences, and facts of language. In this sense, the Issue will be able to integrate the existing literature, enriching the specific research on the relevant points, with particular attention to the phase model and Chomsky’s recent work.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editors (Email A) or to the Languages editorial office (languages@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

References

Aronoff, Mark. 1994. Morphology by Itself. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Chomsky, Noam. 2021. Minimalism: Where Are We Now, and Where Can We Hope to Go. Gengo Kenkyu 160: 1-41.

Embick, David. 2010. Localism versus Globalism in Morphology and Phonology. Cambrigde, Mass.: The MIT Press.

Rizzi, L. 1997. The fine structure of the left periphery. In L. Haegeman (ed.), Elements of Grammar, 281–339. Dordrecht: Kluwer.

Prof. Dr. Leonardo Maria Savoia
Guest Editor

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• syntax
• morphology
• morphophonology
• order and movement
• prosody
• morphosyntax