Several distinct general linguistic theories are represented here: autolexical theory, categorial grammar, functional grammar, and government and binding syntax. Each essay in this book is centered around a point of morphological theory and each one is designed to further the development of that theory and hence linguistic theory in general. Many different languages are analyzed: Sino-Tibetan Manipuri, Eskimo Central Siberian Upik, Athabaskan Ahtna, Latin, modern European languages, and English. All of these sometimes dramatically different language systems are treated as manifestations of a single unified human language faculty, and these studies of generative morphology are incorporated into linguistic theory and the explanation of diversity in human language.

Mark Aronoff is Professor in the Department of Linguistics at State University of New York at Stony Brook.