Ling 001: Linguistic Typology

Inventory Differences, cont.

• Remember that we are interested in breaking down phonemes into more abstract units; features for
• Place of articulation
• Manner of articulation
• Voicing; etc.
• The idea in this type of variation is that a restricted inventory defined in these terms is in principle available, and that specific languages make specific choices from that inventory.

Inventory, cont.

• Inventory differences show up in e.g. morphology as well; consider number (recall morphology slides)
• English: Singular and Plural
• I go, we go, etc.
• Classical Greek: Dual as well:
• Lu-ei `he/she/it looses’
• Lue-ton `they-2 loose’
• Luo-usi `they loose’
• Lihir (Oceanic)
• Wa `you’
• Gol `you-2’
• Gotol `you-3’
• Gohet `you-PAUCAL’
• Go `you-PL’

Further differences

• When it comes to morphology and syntax, we see another way in which languages differ
• With morphology:
• What is expressed ‘in a word’ differs greatly from language to language
• Similarly, whether or not we see discrete pieces, or multiple adjustments to a single piece
• With syntax:
• how trees are linearized (where the head of the phrase is)
• Fixed vs. free word order