III. Group the words according to a particular type of morphemic distribution.

MODEL: worked–bells–tells–fells–telling–spells–spelled–spelt–felled–bell

spells–spelled: the allomorphs “-s” and “-ed” are in contrastive distribution (=fells–felled);

bell–bells: the allomorph “-s” and zero allomorph are in contrastive distribution;

spelt–spelled: the allomorphs “-t” and “-ed” are in non-contrastive distribution;

worked–spelled: the allomorphs “-ed [t]” and “-ed [d]” are in complementary distribution, etc.

1. burning–burns–burned–burnt;

2. dig–digs–digging–digged–dug–digger;

3. light–lit–lighted–lighting–lighter;

4. worked–working–worker–workable–workaholic.

IV. Group the words according to a particular type of morphemic distribution:

1. mice, leapt, appendices, kittens, cats, witches, leaping, children, leaped, leaps, formulae, stimuli, matrices, sanatoria;

2. geese, dogs, chickens, deer, mats, bade, bid, phenomena, formulae, formulas, genii, geniuses, scissors;

3. genera, brethren, brothers, trout, gestures, blessed, blest, tins, pots, matches, antennae, antennas;

4. anthems, classes, lice, handkerchiefs, handkerchieves, bereft, bereaved, grouse, cleaved, cleft, clove.

PART II:

CATEGORIAL STRUCTURE OF THE WORD

1. The basic notions concerned with the analysis of the categorial structure of the word: grammatical category, opposition, paradigm. Grammatical meaning and means of its expression.

2. The Prague linguistic school and its role in the development of the systemic conception of language. The theory of oppositions, types of oppositions: privative, gradual, equipollent; binary, ternary, etc. Oppositions in grammar.

3. Synthetical and analytical forms. The principle of identifying an analytical form. The notion of suppletivity.

Questions to be discussed:

1. In what way are the two notions – “grammatical category” and “opposition” – interconnected?

2. What grammatical elements constitute a paradigm?

3. What are the differential features of privative, gradual, and equipollent oppositions?

4. What enables linguists to consider the privative binary opposition as the most important type of oppositions?

EXERCISES

I. Define the type of oppositions and interpret the categorial properties or their members in privative terms.

MODEL: play–played

The words “play–played” make up a binary privative opposition. The strong member is “played”; its differential feature is the denotation of a past action. The marker of this categorial meaning is the grammatical suffix “-ed”

1. k – g, m – w, s – n, a: – ә – i:

2. he – she, he – they, he – it, we – they;

3. intelligent – more intelligent – the most intelligent;

4. I understand – I am understood

5. tooth – teeth, pincers – a pair of pincers;

6. am – is;

7. he listens – he is listening;

8. mother – room.

II. Build up the oppositions of the categorial forms and define the types of the oppositions.

Efficient, have defined, they, information, he, more efficient, vessel, we, define, the most efficient, are defined, I, vessels, will define, bits of information, defined, less efficient, a most efficient.

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Seminar 3

NOUN AND ITS CATEGORIES

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1. The general characteristics of the noun as a part of speech. Classification of nouns.

2. The category of gender.

3. The category of number. Singularia Tantum and Pluralia Tantum.

4. The category of case: different approaches to its interpretation. Case distinctions in personal pronouns.