Towards a theory of morphology-driven marking in the lexicon: The case of the state
All languages have a noun category, but its realisation varies considerably. Depending on the language, semantic and/or morphosyntactic differences may be more or less pronounced. This paper explores these variations, using Riffian as a reference point before extending the analysis to other languages. We propose a formal model termed morphology-driven marking. Nouns are organised into modular cognitive sets, each with its own morphological template and unmarked form. This approach helps explain differences in marking among noun types within and across languages. By situating these patterns within syntactic functions, we also reassess the notions of markedness and state. It is proposed tha...
| Authors | Mohamed El Idrissi |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.CL |
| Published | 3 April 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 1 August 2026 |
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