On Plurals, noun phrase and num(ber)
in Moroccan Arabic and Djibouti Somali
In this paper, we focus on plural nouns in two Afroasiatic languages: Moroccan Arabic and Djibouti Somali. Within a syntactic approach to word formation, we show that not all plurals are located in the same syntactic position. In Moroccan Arabic, one plural results from the merger of a root with the head n, whereas the other realizes a feature on the number head. In a similar way, Somali displays two suffixal plurals, which realize two distinct syntactic structures. One suffix is associated to numP and behaves as a regular plural suffix; in contrast, the other suffix is analyzed as a bound root that selects for xPs (nP or numP) containing the feminine gender.
References
Acquaviva, Paolo
2008 Lexical Plurals: A Morphosemantic Approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Andrzejewski, Bomugil Witalis
1964 The Declensions of Somali Nouns. London: School of Oriental and African Studies.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Andrzejewski, Bomugil Witalis
1979 The Case System in Somali. London: School of Oriental and African Studies.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Banti, Giorgio
1988 “Two Cushitic Systems: Somali and Oromo Nouns.” In
Autosegmental Studies on Pitch Accent, ed. by
Harry van der Hulst, and
Norval Smith, 11–50. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Banti, Giorgio
2011 “Somali Language.” In
Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, ed. by
Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 4, 693a–696b. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Benhallam, Abderrafi
1980 Syllable Structure and Rule Types in Arabic. Ph.D. thesis, University of Florida.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Davis, Stuart
1995 “Emphasis Spread and Grounded Phonology.” Linguistic Inquiry 26: 465–498.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Embick, David, and Alec Marantz
2008 “Architecture and Blocking.” Linguistic Inquiry 39: 1–53.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Faust, Noam
2011 Forme et fonction dans la morphologie nominale de l’hébreu moderne: études en morphosyntaxe. Ph.D. thesis, Université Paris 7.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ghazali, Salem
1981 “La diffusion de l’emphase.” Analyses-Théorie 1: 122–135.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Godon, Elsa
1998 Aspects de la morphologie nominale du somali: la formation du pluriel. Master thesis, Université Paris 7.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hammond, Michael
1988 “Templatic Transfer in Arabic Broken Plurals.” Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 6: 247–270.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Heath, Jeffrey
1987 Ablaut and Ambiguity: Phonology of a Moroccan Arabic Dialect. Albany: State University of New York Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hyman, Larry
1981 “Tonal Accent in Somali.” Studies in African Linguistics 12 (2): 169–201.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Idrissi, Ali
1997 “Plural Formation in Arabic.” In
Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics: Papers from the Annual Symposium on Arabic Linguistics, vol. X, ed. by
Mushira Eid, and
Robert Ratcliffe, 123–145. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kenstowicz, Michael, and Nabila Louriz
2009 “Reverse Engineering: Emphatic Consonants and the Adaptation of Vowels in French Loanwords into Moroccan Arabic.” Brill’s Annual of Afroasiatic Languages and Linguistics 1: 41–74.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kihm, Alain
2003 “Les pluriels internes de l’arabe: système et conséquences pour l’architecture de la grammaire.” Recherches Linguistiques de Vincennes 32: 109–156.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kihm, Alain
2006 “Nonsegmental Concatenation: A Study of Classical Arabic Broken Plurals and Verbal Nouns.” Morphology 16: 69–105.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kramer, Ruth
2012 “A Split Analysis of Plurality: Evidence from Amharic.” In
The Proceedings of WCCFL 30, ed. by
Nathan Arnett, and
Ryan Bennett, 226–236. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lampitelli, Nicola
2013. “
The Decomposition of Somali Nouns.”
Brill’s Annual of Afroasiatic Languages and Linguistics 5: 118–159.
Lecarme, Jacqueline
2002 “Gender Polarity: Theoretical Aspects of Somali Nominal Morphology.” In
Many Morphologies, ed. by
Paul Boucher, 109–141. Somerville: Cascadilla Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lowenstamm, Jean
2008 “On n, nP, √ and Types of Nouns.” In
The Sounds of Silence: Empty Elements in Syntax and Phonology, ed. by
Jutta M. Hartmann,
Veronika Hegedűs, and
Henk van Riemsdijk, 105–144. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lowenstamm, Jean
2014. “
Derivational affixes as roots, no exponence: Phasal spellout meets English stress shift.” In
The Syntax of Roots and the Roots of Syntax ed. by
Artemis Alexiadou,
Hagit Borer, and
Florian Schaäfer 230 258 Oxford Oxford University Press
Marantz, Alec
2001 Words. Ms., MIT.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
McCarthy, John, and Alan Prince
1990 “Foot and Word in Prosodic Morphology: The Arabic Broken Plurals.” Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 8: 209–283.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Newman, Paul
2000 The Hausa Language: An Encyclopedic Reference Grammar. Yale: Yale University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Orwin, Martin
1995 Colloquial Somali. A Complete Language Course. New York: Routledge.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Prunet, Jean-François
2006 “External Evidence and the Semitic Root.” Morphology 16: 41–67.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Puglielli, Annarita, and Ciise Maxamed Siyaad
1984 “La flessione del nome.” In
Aspetti Morfologici, lessicali e della focalizzazione (
Studi Somali 5), ed. by
Annarita Puglielli, 53–112. Rome: MAE, Dipartimento per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ritter, Elizabeth
1991 “Two Functional Categories in Noun Phrases: Evidence from Modern Hebrew.” In
Syntax and Semantics 26, ed. by
Susan Rothstein, 37–62. San Diego: Academic Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Saeed, John
1993 Somali Reference Grammar. Kensington, Maryland: Dunwoody Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Wright, William
2004 Arabic Grammar. New York: Dover Publications.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by
Cited by 2 other publications
Jaradat, Abdulazeez
2023.
Branching lexical plural into greater and paucal.
Cogent Arts & Humanities 10:1
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 23 june 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.