Derivation

The chapter reviews derivational morphology in MH, as a domain critical to lexical organization and content, with analyses based largely on empirical psycholinguistic studies and distributional frequencies. Interrelations between derivation and inflection are considered, with derivational processes analyzed as representing one-to-many and many-to-one relations of form and meaning. Four major means of derivation are delineated: non-linear root-pattern affixation, linear suffixation on stems, zero-derivation, and stem or root reduplication. Verbs are analyzed as distinct from nominals (nouns and adjectives), the binyan system of verb conjugations is reevaluated, with a distinction between two subsystems of morphological, semantic, and syntactic interrelations, taking into account the role of benoni present-tense/participials, defective roots, frequency of use, transitivity and voice, and verb semantics. Nouns are analyzed in terms of ontological categories such as Agent, Instrument, Location, and Adjectives are described as basic, verb-derived, and noun-based, and Adverbs are noted as morphologically marginal in MH.