Fixed Suffix Dependency Ratio: Quantifying the Dual-Track Mechanism of Gender Assignment in Latvian Loanwords
Existing research has repeatedly observed the tendency for English loanwords to cluster in the masculine gender across different recipient languages, yet the origin of this pattern remains difficult to determine, as fixed morphological rules and default assignments are frequently analysed together. This study proposes the Fixed Suffix Dependency Ratio (FSDR) to quantify the degree of reliance on fixed derivational suffixes across different genders, and to distinguish between morphological anchoring and free-choice in distribution. By examining 1,832 Latvian noun lemma types, the results reveal a significant FSDR asymmetry within the loanword system: feminine loanwords rely significantly m...
| Authors | Yelingyun Zhang, Atis Kapenieks |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.CL |
| Published | 3 September 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 4 September 2026 |
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