ERIC Number: EJ1107097
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Feb
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0142-7237
EISSN: N/A
Developing Structural Specification: Productivity in Early Hebrew Verb Usage
Lustigman, Lyle
First Language, v33 n1 p47-67 Feb 2013
The study investigates acquisition of verb inflections by four monolingual Hebrew-acquiring children from middle-class backgrounds, audio-recorded in longitudinal, weekly samples at a mean age-range of between 18 and 26 months. Productive use of inflectional morphology is shown to manifest increasing structural specification, as a function of children's developing knowledge of morphology-syntax interfaces illustrated by Subject-Verb agreement. The verbs used by all four children evolve from non-specified stem-like forms via sporadic structural alternations to initial productivity in the use of largely under-specified inflected forms. This process of increasing structural specification is interpreted as reflecting paradigmatic/syntagmatic interfacings in developing grammatical productivity, such that eventually a full range of inflectional contrasts is manifested in all and only appropriate syntactic environments.
Descriptors: Semitic Languages, Verbs, Language Usage, Grammar, Language Acquisition, Syntax, Monolingualism, Middle Class, Morphology (Languages), Audio Equipment, Longitudinal Studies, Infants, Toddlers, Morphemes, Databases, Gender Differences, Statistical Analysis, Oral Language, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Israel
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A