The recent literature contains diverse proposals as to what principles underlie the surface linear arrangement of morphemes in a word. Affix ordering has been claimed to be driven by semantic factors (Bybee 1985, Rice 2000), syntactic scope (Baker 1985), selectional restrictions (Plag 1999) psycholinguistic processing-based factors (Hay 2002, Hay & Plag 2004), prosodic factors (Booij 2002, 2005), morphophonological subcategorization frames (Yu 2007), and morphological templates (Inkelas 1993, Hyman 2002, Nordlinger 2008), not all of which are mutually exclusive (Paster 2005), but whose precise nature and possibilities for interaction remain to be worked out. The study of affix ordering thus forms an ideal testing ground theories of morphology and its interfaces with other components of the grammar.
     Even as documentation of lesser studied languages brings to light new patterns 
that challenge previous assumptions about possible affix ordering systems (e.g. free, variable prefix ordering in Chintang; Bickel et al. 2007), closer study of languages previously considered arbitrary and templatic has revealed patterns of a more 
universal semantic or syntactic nature (e.g. Athabaskan; Rice 2000).
	This workshop aims at facilitating collaboration between theorists, language specialists, typologists, and anyone interested in the study of affix order. We invite papers from any perspective which explore the complexity of affix ordering in specific languages, present empirical challenges for current theories, and/or seek unified explanations for the range of cross-linguistic affix ordering patterns attested to date. Papers presenting original data from lesser studied languages are particularly encouraged. Some possible questions include, but are by no means limited to, the following: What are the limits (if any) of semantics, syntax, and phonology in determining affix order? How do these limits manifest themselves universally and/or in specific languages? In cases where multiple factors interact in the determination of affix order, what is the nature of this interaction? Templates have often been used as a descriptive rather than formal mechanism. But to the extent that some affix ordering systems are genuinely templatic, what is the nature of the internal structure of morphological templates? Are there cross-linguistic constraints on these structures? Are some types of affix ordering patterns characteristic of certain kinds of morphological systems (e.g. inflectional, agglutinating, polysynthetic)? What aspects of affix ordering are to be modeled synchronically in the grammar, versus determined by grammar-external forces (e.g. processing, language change)?


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Department of Linguistics
University of California
1203 Dwinelle Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
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Berkeley Workshop on Affix Ordering
October 4-5, 2008
University of California, Berkeley

Abstract submission deadline: August 1, 2008
Anonymous abstracts (pdf files only) must be sent to: affix@berkeley.edu

Abstracts should be a maximum of 2 pages long (including data and references). 
In your email please include: title of paper, your full name, and affiliation. 
Talks will be 30 minutes with 10 minutes for discussion.mailto:bwao@gmail.comshapeimage_5_link_0