Relativism and Universalism in Linguistics - Fachbereich 10 ...

100 Sections
Rainer, Franz. 1993. Spanische Wortbildungslehre. Tübingen: Niemeyer
Scalise, Sergio. 1984. Generative Morphology, Dordrecht: Foris
Spencer , Andrew. 1991. Morphological theory: an introduction to word structure in
generative grammar. Oxford: Blackwell
Word stem in historical and general linguistics
Krasukhin, Konstantin G.
Russian Academy of Science
krasukh@mail.ru
0. The morphological analysis of word can be described in the terms of two several linguistic
theories: Moscow formal (Fortunatov) school, and American descriptive linguistics (most
exactly elaborated in Harris 1946). According Filipp Th. Fortunatov (1956:), each word is a
member of two sets: basic and formal ones. The basic set is a labile category: new words can
be derived from the basic one, and new derivational suffix builds new basic sets (e.g.: {stul
‘chair’, stul-a (Gen. sg.), stul-u (Dat. sg.)…} is a basic set; {stul-u, dom-u ‘to the house’, volku
‘to the wolf’…} is a formal set; diminutive derivate {stul-čik} builds a new set {stulčik,
stulčik-a, stulčik-u}). According Harris, each unit of language can occur in the text in an
environment only; one must discern necessary, possible, and impossible development. Models
of Fortunatov and Harris describes the same phenomena from morphological (paradigmatic),
and syntactic (syntagmatic) point of view accordingly. One must add, that the morpheme and
stem border is also labile: processes of the boundary change (Russian pererazloženie) in word
are well known: Old Russ. Dat. pl. žena-mъ ‘to the wives’, vlъko-mъ ‘to the wolves’, Instr. pl.
žena-mi, vlъky → contemporary žen-am, volk-am; žen-ami, volk-ami (Bogoroditsky 1939).
1. One can reconstruct for Proto-Indo-European (PIE) Language a so-called ablaut-accentparadigm
(AAP), being the basis of case system on the other hand, voice and mood system on
the other hand; it is connected also with the present-aorist ─ perfect opposition. These
grammatical systems differs very strong one from another. One can suggest the processes of
boundary change and transformations of stems of words belonging to several classes.
1.1. The basic principle of AAP is such: CV́Cv : CVCV́ (C – consonant, V ─ vowel, V ─
reduced vowel, ́ ─ stress). The barytone word is an independent member of sentence; the
oxytone one is a dependent member of sentence. Both can be nouns and verbs.
1.2. If barytone words occupied the predicative position, a “wide element” *-s/-t can be
added. As a sequence, the oxytone stem can be changed: CVĆV-t: CVCV́ → CV́C-t : CVC-V́
(CVC-é). Barytone form is a verb of active voice; oxytone form became so-called nonstandard
middle in Vedic, Hittite, Italo-Celtic (Krasukhin 2000).
1.2.1. Oxytone form could develop the recession (= leftward shift) of stress by the analogy
with baritone: CVCé (→ CoCé in light stems) → CóCe. It is a way of the intransitive perfect
building (then it is developed into resultativ and preterit).
1.3. The stem CVCé- in opposition to the CV́C-t can be reanalyzed as a whole stem; therefore
the flexion –t can be added. It is a basis of thematic aorist, which means in Old Greek and
Lithuanian the intransitive process: Greek ερείπω ‘push’ ─ έριπον ‘I fell out’, ερείκω
‘destroy’ ─ έρικον ‘I was destroyed’; Lith. mer̃kti ‘wet’ ─ mir̃kti ‘become wet’.
1.4. The accent in primarily oxytone stem can be recessed by analogy with barytone one:
CV́C- : CV́Ce-. It is a way of building of PIE conjunctive and thematic presents: OInd ásti
‘(s/he) is’ ─ ásati ‘(s/he) would be’, cf. Avest. aŋha i ti, Old Persian ahatiy, Old Latin esed.
Most archaic Latin conjunctives have zero grade of root vocalism: attigat ‘(s/he) would