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Morphology and Meaning: Selected papers from the 15th International Morphology Meeting, Vienna, February 2012
Edited by Franz Rainer, Francesco Gardani, Hans Christian Luschützky and Wolfgang U. Dressler
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 327] 2014
► pp. 191–204

Compounds vs. phrases

The cognitive status of morphological products

| University of Kassel
| University of Kassel
| University of Kassel

Nominal compounds and corresponding phrases provide a suitable test bed for inquiry into the interface and demarcations between syntax and morphology. In this article we show that the distinction between the two constructions is blurred from a theoretical perspective and investigate processing and cognitive aspects. After an examination of structural as well as semantic properties of the two types, we report on three studies (memorization, questionnaire, and reading time) that experimentally juxtapose German adjective-noun constructions of phrasal and morphological kinds. The results of these studies indicate cognitive differences between compounds and phrases. Considering alternative explanations, we argue that our data supports the view of two separated structural levels of grammar.

Published online: 27 February 2014
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https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.327.13kot
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Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

Schlechtweg, Marcel
2018. The naming potential of compounds and phrases: An empirical study on German adjective-noun constructions. Word Structure 11:3 ► pp. 359 ff. DOI logo

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