Zero suffixes in Modern Greek derived adjectival formations with alpha privative

Abstract

In this paper, we examine Modern Greek adjectives with the negative prefix α- [a] (also called alpha privative) which are derived from nouns. These formations display formal and semantic properties that cannot be attributed to any overt element of the structure. Following a bottom-up approach, we revisit the question of whether zero morphemes are useful in the realm of derivational morphology. We argue for a zero derivational suffix that accounts for the lexical category and the inflectional properties of the formation and in combination with the negative prefix a- gives a privative reading. As this zero suffix attributes the basic properties of the formations, but it is not part of the overt structure, we raise the question of whether derivational structures can also be exocentric. Many scholars have claimed that exocentricity is a property pertinent only to compounds. However, we argue that there is no reason why the presence of zero morphemes and the notion of exocentricity should be excluded from derivational morphology.

Keywords

• derivation
• zero suffix
• exocentricity
• alpha privative
• modern greek