Catenae in Morphology

This paper argues for a renewed attempt at morphology in dependency grammar. The proposal made here is based on the concept of the “catena” proposed by Authors (in press). The predecessor to this notion was the “chain” introduced by O‟Grady (1998), and employed by Osborne (2005) and Groß and Osborne (2009). In morphology and morphosyntax, a morph catena is A MORPH OR A COMBINATION OF MORPHS THAT IS CONTINUOUS WITH RESPECT TO DOMINANCE. This concept allows for a parsimonious treatment of morphology on the surface. The fact that no additional terms and concepts are necessary for the analysis of morphological data is highly desirable because it makes a fluid transition from syntax to morphology possible. This paper introduces the relevant dependency relationships seen operating in morphology, and shows how they can be used to explain compound structure, bracketing paradoxes, and multiple periphrasis.