Derivation, Inflection, and the Paradigm in German: The Definition of Basic Concepts in Morphology (Transformational, Declension, Generative, Conjugation, Stem)

In an effort to establish definitions of the (heretofore undefined) terms inflection, derivation, paradigm, declension, and conjugation, and to determine their interrelationships within morphology, an analysis of Standard German inflection is undertaken. German nominal, adjectival, and verbal inflectional systems are investigated, and an economical analysis is proposed. German noun declensions are found to consist of two paradigms, one singular and one plural, as defined by the presence of different (unpredictable) stems in each paradigm. The paradigms choose their inflectional endings from one of three nominal paradigms, whose endings identify the case of the noun. Inflectional endings identify the case, number, and gender of adjectives, and strong declension is found to be pro-nominal, while weak declension is nominal. A lexicalist analysis is proposed to deal with the presence of strong declension of attributive adjectives following ein-words with (SLASHCIRC)-inflection. Finally, the four finite combinations of tense and mood of German conjugation are studied; the verb forms for these combinations are found to differ primarily in their stems, which are derivationally produced for each tense and/or mood. All finite verb forms in German take their inflectional affixes from two paradigms whose members identify person and number only.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

German

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Leibiger, Carol Andrea

• Language, Linguistics

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8600250

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/71049