Questionable Morphology in Constructions

Abstract

Among the classical borderline phenomena in morphology we find unique stems and affixes such as German Him- in Himbeere ‘raspberry‘, plötz- in plötzlich ‘suddenly‘ und -ut in Armut ‘poverty‘. Such forms raise questions about the complexity of words and the status of segments. This contribution discusses questionable morphological elements from a construction-based perspective and shows how the analytical challenges can be met by systematically considering the relationality within and among constructions. The study contributes to an inclusive model of morphology that accounts for the idiosyncratic as well as the regular properties of complex words.