Zero-suffixes and their alternatives: A view from French

Abstract

Zero-affixes have been used in morphology within pre-generative analyses, lexicalist analyses and syntactic approaches to morphology. The (over)use of zero-affixes has also led to criticisms and to alternative approaches, both within lexicalist models and syntactic approaches to morphology. In this paper, on the basis of French, a mix of several syntactic approaches is proposed. Two problems for Borer’s Exo-Skeletal model, in which derivational zero-suffixes are dispensed with on the basis of English, are discussed. First, on the basis of V → N conversions in French an alternative to zero-suffixes is proposed. Second, the discussion of A/N parallel suffixes in French leads to the adoption of a second alternative to zero-suffixes. Both alternatives require an adaptation of the Exo-Skeletal model: the acceptance of mixed functional projections and suffixal roots in the model.

Keywords

• zero-suffix
• distributed morphology
• exo-skeletal model
• deverbal noun
• root suffix
• french