Later Generative Grammar and Beyond: Lexicalism

Abstract

This chapter traces the history and development of morphological research from Chomsky’s Remarks on nominalization (1970) onwards. It presents the first works that attempted to define and structure morphology as an autonomous field with its own units and principles, as well as its subsequent evolutions up to the present day. It discusses some of the main distinctions that appeared in the field (derivation vs. inflection, word- vs. morpheme-based morphology), its basic concepts and theoretical tools. Finally, an assessment is proposed of the different theoretical options, and of their importance and impact on subsequent research.