The directionality of reduplicative plurality. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berg, Thomas
• Is Part Of: Word structure. Volume 15:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 27
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: language typology -- reduplication -- plural -- suffixing preference; Grammar, Comparative and general -- Morphology -- Periodicals; 415
• DOI: 10.3366/word.2022.0197
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-1245

Abstract

Abstract : One instantiation of the well-known suffixing preference is the strong predominance of suffixes over prefixes in nominal-plural marking. Plurality may also be expressed by (partial) reduplication. In contradistinction to the rightward bias of affixes, reduplication in general exhibits a leftward bias. These opposite effects lead to a notable prediction regarding the directionality of reduplicative plurals, which are expected to show a compromise between the rightward bias of affixing and the leftward bias of reduplication. This prediction is not borne out in a sizeable sample of languages with reduplicative plurals. Almost all these languages put the reduplicant in word-initial position. That is, the leftward bias in reduplicative plurals is even more pronounced than that in reduplication generally. The explanation of this striking set of results revolves around a conspiracy of several factors which render the occurrence of word-final reduplicative plurals extremely unlikely. Thus, word-initial and word-final sites are much more unequal competitors in reduplicative plurality than prefixes and suffixes are in affixal plural marking.