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Motivating Morphological Constituents: a Learning-Based Analysis of Hebrew, Navajo, and Spanish

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Motivating Morphological Constituents: a Learning-Based Analysis of Hebrew, Navajo, and Spanish City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 9-2017 Motivating Morphological Constituents: A Learning-Based Analysis of Hebrew, Navajo, and Spanish Ignacio Lorenzo Montoya The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2163 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] MOTIVATING MORPHOLOGICAL CONSTITUENTS: A LEARNING-BASED ANALYSIS OF HEBREW, NAVAJO, AND SPANISH by IGNACIO L. MONTOYA A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Linguistics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2017 © 2017 IGNACIO L. MONTOYA All Rights Reserved ii Motivating Morphological Constituents: A Learning-Based Analysis of Hebrew, Navajo, and Spanish by Ignacio L. Montoya This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Linguistics in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Juliette Blevins ____________________________________________ Chair of Examining Committee Gita Martohardjono ____________________________________________ Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Daniel Kaufman Ricardo Otheguy James P. Blevins THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT Motivating Morphological Constituents: A Learning-Based Analysis of Hebrew, Navajo, and Spanish by Ignacio L. Montoya Advisor: Juliette Blevins In both description and theory, a variety of linguistic structures have been posited to account for a multitude of linguistic patterns. In the sub-field of morphology, such units include roots, stems, and morphemes. Previous research that has explored the motivation for linguistic structures and constructs in phonology and syntax has raised questions about the nature of these linguistic structures and constructs. Such work, however, has not focused on morphological constituent structure, a gap which the present dissertation addresses through a focused examination of the evidence motivating morphological constituents in Hebrew, Navajo, and Spanish. The theoretical framework of this dissertation follows a learning-based approach, in which linguistic structure emerges from the application of domain-general learning mechanisms to linguistic data. Under this approach, a constituent is posited when a language exhibits generalizations that are more effectively expressed with it than without it. Therefore, morphological constituents for a given language are motivated through a convergence of linguistic patterns that rely on that constituent for description. In all three languages, the grammatical word and word-internal constituents are motivated. In Hebrew, the word-internal constituents are the root and the stem; in Navajo, they are the stem, the conjunct, and the disjunct; and in Spanish, the word-internal constituent is the iv stem. A lack of uniformity can be found within each language, such that verbs exhibit more complex constituent structure than other classes of words. In addition, despite the commonality in terminology conventionally employed for word-internal constituents in Hebrew, Navajo, and Spanish, the criteria motivating each of the word-internal constituents are distinct across the three languages, such that, for instance, a stem in one language is not the same entity as a stem in another. A comparison of the findings for the three languages offers implications for linguistic theory. Given that the grammatical word is motivated for all three languages, the present study supports other work in morphology that claims the primacy of the word as a basic morphological constituent. In addition, the distinct criteria that identify each word-internal constituent in the different languages indicate that the word-internal constituents motivated by the learning-based approach cannot be thought of as universal, supporting the theoretical claim that linguistic elements, including morphological categories and domains, should be approached on a language- specific basis. v Acknowledgments Over the years, I’ve known many people who have run marathons, and I’ve always been impressed by the commitment, hard work, and persistence that they put into training for and completing a 26.2-mile race. After feeling settled and established as an elementary and middle school teacher after several years working in a variety of classrooms, I had decided that I wanted to run my own marathon as a way of enriching my life. However, given that I have little inclination for running but great inclination for linguistics, I ultimately resolved that my version of a marathon would involve earning a Ph.D. in linguistics. If my completion of a dissertation can indeed be likened to running a marathon, then I can say that my accomplishment would not have been possible without the dedicated guidance of a team of trainers, the warm companionship of fellow marathoners, and the loving support of cheerleaders who believed in me. My team of trainers – a.k.a., my dissertation committee – consisted of individuals who have helped shape and sharpen my thinking about questions of language throughout my time in graduate school. From Juliette Blevins, my lead trainer and the chair of my committee, I learned the importance of comprehensive and deep knowledge and the value of an open mind in the pursuit of knowledge. She has set an excellent example of what an exemplary scholar is like. In addition, her passion for learning is contagious and I hope that I can continue to honor her great contribution to my intellectual life by continually seeking to learn. From Ricardo Otheguy, I learned that questioning received wisdom is not only allowed but also encouraged in one’s development as a scholar. Moreover, I will seek to use his gentle yet rigorous manner of guiding students as a model for my interacting with my future students. Through Jim Blevins, I discovered my love of morphology. His perspectives on the structures of words resonated with vi other ideas about cognition and language that I had found compelling, and his work sparked my interest in linguistic questions that I have only begun to answer. I will surely continue to draw from his ideas on morphology as I continue to grow intellectually. From Daniel Kaufman, I learned to be skeptical of my own skepticism and to understand both the positions I’m taking and the ones I’m challenging. I thank him for our stimulating discussions about linguistics, and I’m grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to connect about teaching, life, and other such matters. This intellectual race I’ve run was made possible through the generous support of several sponsors. Chief among them is the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity (OEOD) at the Graduate Center, which administers the Presidential Magnet Fellowship and the Dean K. Harrison Fellowship, which formed the core of my financial support during my graduate career. In addition, the OEOD offered me the opportunity to work closely with the Pipeline Program in a multitude of capacities, an experience that reinforced my passion for making the academy more just and equitable. Additionally, the various people involved with the OEOD inspired and guided me in numerous ways. In particular, I would like to thank Herman Bennett for his mentorship and guidance and Rebecca Mlynarczyk for being a stable, constant, and nurturing source of support from the first semester of time at the Graduate Center to the last. In addition, I am grateful to Doctoral Student Research Grant Program and the Endangered Language Initiative at the Graduate Center for grants that supported the presentation of my work at an international conference and participation in the Navajo Language Academy’s Summer Linguistics Workshop, whose organizers and participants strongly shaped my thinking about my analysis of Navajo and introduced me to the rich and wonderful world of Navajo culture. Though the participants in a marathon must ultimately do the work of running themselves, I am deeply grateful that in my Ph.D. marathon I have had a wonderful cadre of vii other runners alongside me during this race. Among those who have been my most constant companions are the members of my writing group – Joanna Birnbaum, Emily Long Olsen, Michelle McSweeney, Ian Phillips, and Nadav Sabar. They have provided encouragement, accountability, and practical tips. Most importantly, though, I am grateful for their friendship and for the many moments of connection and support we have shared – from gatherings to celebrate the various landmarks we’ve passed to homemade dinners in Washington Heights to post-study- session walks to the East Village filled with laughter, warmth, and joy to deeply engaging discussion about phonology, politics, and the travails of being an adjunct. I am also grateful for other fellow linguists who have shared portions of this run with me, as collaborators in various projects, as thoughtful and generous listeners, and as people I really enjoy spending time with: Frances Blanchette, Mikaela Cresci, Kayla Palakurthy, Lauren Spradlin, and many others who have shared of themselves with me. My interactions with my fellow graduate students have touched me both intellectually and personally. My journey has been deeply enriched by these connections
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