Language Processing and Acquisition in Languages of Semitic, Root-Based, Morphology (review)

The sixteen essays in this work deal with the representation of words in Semitic languages. In Ch. 1, the editor questions whether these languages are really root-based (1–28). He concludes that most of the authors in this volume argue against the traditional (most often triconsonantal) root preferring ‘a word- or stem-based approach’ (23). The essence of the aforementioned perspective is that word formation is based not on roots and templates, but rather on a system of stems and affixes of the same type as known in Indo-European languages. The author asserts that in Hebrew, for example, many stems are words that ‘may also serve as input for producing other words’ (24). My own position agrees with that of Shmuel Bolozky (see below), viz. that more research is necessary to decide the issue, and that there is not ‘sufficient evidence to get rid of [the] notion of the root’ (144).

I comment on nine articles, concluding with a list of the remaining. These were chosen on the basis of my own background and interests, and this decision in no way implies that those not commented on are, in any sense, unsatisfactory.

Outi Bat -El ’s ‘Semitic verb structure within a universal perspective’ (29–59) argues that, since the characteristics of Semitic stem structure can be found in non-Semitic languages, the only trait unique to Semitic is‘ the combination of these properties’ (52).

Robert D. Hoberman and Mark Aronoff ’s ‘The verbal morphology of Maltese: From Semitic to Romance’ (61–78) rejects the Arabic inherited root-and-pattern nature of Maltese, affirming that verb derivation basically works via affixation. They note, however, that Proto-Semitic and Proto-Afroasiatic had root-and-pattern morphology (62).

Sharon Rose ’s ‘The formation of Ethiopian Semitic internal reduplication’ (79–97), by specifically examining the relationship between the regular and frequentative verb in Ethio-Semitic languages(e.g. Tigrinya sәbәrә ‘break’ and sәbabәrә ‘break in pieces’), convincingly argues for a need for the traditional root. She derives the latter type ‘using word based infixation along with superimposition of templatic requirements and reference to the morphological root’ (92–93).

Elabbas Benmamoun ’s ‘The role of the imperfective template in Arabic morphology’ (99–114) presents evidence for the hypothesis that the imperfective is he underlying (default) form in Arabic from which other words are derived. As illustrative, the imperfective yasbaћ ‘he swims’ allows one to predict masbaћ ‘swimming pool’ (110), although the author is aware of exceptions, such as yaktub ‘he writes’ but maktab ‘office’ (113).

Jeffrey Heath ’s ‘Arabic derivational ablaut, processing strategies, and consonantal “roots” ’ (115–29) opines that Arabic roots ‘are best consigned to oblivion as far as lexical representations and derivational ablaut are concerned’ and that this is especially true for hollow and weak verbs(115).

Shmuel Bolozky ’s ‘The “roots” of denominative Hebrew verbs’ (131–46) argues on behalf of word-based derivation. Thus from maḥšev ‘computer’, where the m-is instrumental, one derives mi ḥšev ‘computerize’, and this derivation is not from the etymological root ḥšb ‘count; think’ (132).

Ora (Rodrigue) Schwarzwald ’s ‘Opacity in Hebrew word morphology’ (147–63) demonstrates that Modern Hebrew has many homonyms diachronically explainable as coming from different etymological roots(e.g. kara ‘read; happened; dug; tore’). However, she concludes that native speakers are not historical linguists, and that the opacity can be disambiguated via ‘sentence structure, context and register’ (161).

Dorit Ravid ’s ‘A developmental perspective on root perception in Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic’ (293–319) presents sound arguments that, since language curricula (and dictionaries) dictate the idea of roots in both Hebrew and Arabic schools, root perception is enhanced by older literate users.

The remaining papers are: Avital Deutsch and Ram Frost, ‘Lexical organization...