Rethinking Morphology

Different theoretical positions can lead to conflicting restrictions on our understanding of what morphology is about. In this textbook, Laurie Bauer presents a new way of thinking about morphological structure – one that will maximise our benefits from the existing disparate approaches available. Presenting a clear and critical overview, this book equips students with the tools to discuss morphological phenomena and to do so in relation to other linguistic contexts, including semantics, psycholinguistics and language change.

Structured around the core areas of morphemic theory, word morphology, word syntax, the boundaries of morphology, and exemplars and resonances, each chapter discusses the limits, strengths and wider implications of existing theories and issues surrounding these facets of morphology.

• Presents a critical overview of the core issues of morphology
• Places morphology into modern cognitive perspectives
• Encourages readers to critically engage with morphological theory
• Includes discussion questions and suggestions for further reading
• Provides sample answers to discussion questions on the resources tab
• Is suitable for students interested in applying morphological materials to other areas, for example historical, psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic studies