On binary features and disagreeing natural classes

Evidence from Cheyenne and Serbian

Bibliographic Data

ID20344403
AuthorsMiloje Despić (Cornell University, corresponding author), Sarah C Murray (0000-0002-0229-9224, Cornell University), Sarah E Murray (0000-0001-9764-4264, Cornell University), Sarah Murray (0000-0002-8665-0009)
Year2018
Volume35
Issue2
Pages219-241
Publication date2018-06-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Linguistic Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0167-6318 • E-ISSN: 1613-3676
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/tlr-2017-0025
OpenAlexW3135405223
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited13

In this paper we offer new arguments for bivalence of morphological features. In the domain of person, we argue in support of the system using the features [±speaker] and [±hearer], on the basis of plural marking in Cheyenne. In the domain of gender, we argue in support of the system using the features [±masculine] and [±feminine], on the basis of gender agreement in Serbian coordinate structures. The property of binary systems crucial for our proposal is that they allow combinations of disagreeing feature values, given that in such systems every morphological category is represented as a combination of two values. Our main empirical goal is to show that some languages treat such combinations of disagreeing feature values (as well as combinations of agreeing values) as natural classes (e.g., Noyer, Rolf. 1992. Features, positions and affixes in autonomous morphological structure. Ph.D. dissertation. Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Binary opposition · Cheyenne · Epistemology · Linguistics · Natural language processing · Plural · Serbian · Categorization, perception, and language · Computer Science · History · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Mathematics · Philosophy · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation · Artificial Intelligence