Homework #1: Finnish nouns and adjectives
Instructions
● Data are from Wiktionary (inspired by a problem in an unnamed textbook, via Kie Zuraw).
● Don’t seek out additional data on Finnish, it will only make the problem harder (it will complicate the problem and your life, so just don’t do it)
● The focus of this assignment is the alternations that occur in the partitive suffix and in the stems.
● Model your write-up on the sample write-up (posted on BruinLearn) for Russian, with sections for morphological rules and affix allomorphy, root allomorphy and underlying forms, phonemicization, phonological rules, and derivations.
● Any time part of your rule refers to a set of two or more sounds use IPA symbols in curly brackets (e.g., {i, y}) to refer to the set of sounds. Later, we’ll learn how to refer to sets of sounds in a better way, but this is fine for now.
● At the end of the document, I’ve included a template you can use to organize your writeup. It includes suggested sections as well as where you may choose to demonstrate certain skills. You do not have to use this template, but it’s available if you want it!
Reminders
All the words undergo the same morphological rules, and the morphological rules can “see” only morphosyntactic features, not phonological features.
OK: X → Xo when X is [+plural] morphosyntactic feature in environment
for morphological rule = OK
BAD: X → Xo when X ends in a consonant phonological info in the environment for
morphological rule = NO!
All the words undergo the same phonological rules, and the phonological rules can “see” only phonological features, not morphological features.
OK: [-sonorant] → [-continuant] / __ [-syllabic] phonological environment in
phonological rule = OK
BAD: [-sonorant] → [-continuant] / [+plural] morphological environment in
phonological rule = NO!
A single morpheme always has the same underlying form.
● If a morpheme has more than one allomorph (surface form), it is the job of the phonological rules to explain how the same underlying form. can end up with different surface forms.
● For example, the English plural is always /-z/ underlyingly, but then is transformed by phonological rules to different surface forms, [-s] and [-ɨz].
Skills you can (should) try to demonstrate:
Remember to use footnotes to indicate which skills you’re demonstrating in each section. See the write-up outline below for which skills are likely to go with which section.
6.1 MorphemeBoundaries
6.2 MorphologicalRule
6.3 IdentifyAllomorphs
6.4 UnderlyingForm
6.5 RulesForAlternation
7.1 GiveDerivation
Other skills you could include:
Feel free to use footnotes to point out any other skills you think you are demonstrating as well. For example, we haven’t really covered features yet, but if you’re familiar with the concept from another class (or you’ve read ahead in the textbook) you could also try to demonstrate skills 1.1 FeaturesToSubset or 1.2 SubsetToFeatures in this assignment.
Data
Advanced data
If you expand your solution to accommodate these data, you can demonstrate advanced proficiency in 6.5 RulesForAlternation (and possibly some of the other skills above). We haven’t learned the exact right way to write the rule(s) you’ll need here, so do your best to write a very explicit, clear rule in words.
Note: when you include an analysis of any advanced data in your homework write-up, it should come AFTER your complete analysis of the basic data. Advanced analysis should take your basic analysis into consideration and modify it as necessary to explain ALL the data, advanced & basic.
Note: feel free to use this outline to demonstrate the suggested skills listed below in your write-up. However, you are welcome to change titles, move things around, and organize your write-up in a way that presents your analysis and makes sense to you. As long as you include footnotes to show us which skills you’ve demonstrated where, we’ll be able to evaluate your work.
1. Morphological rules and affix allomorphy
● 6.1 MorphemeBoundaries
● 6.2 MorphologicalRule
● 6.3 IdentifyAllomorphs
● 6.4 UnderlyingForm.
2. Root allomorphy and underlying forms
● 6.3 IdentifyAllomorphs
● 6.4 UnderlyingForm.
3. Phonemicization
● 5.5 PhonemicizationDiagram
4. Phonological rules
● 6.5 RulesForAlternation
5. Derivation(s)
● 7.1 GiveDerivation
6. Advanced/additional data
● 6.5 RulesForAlternation (advanced)