Morphological Analysis Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Topic: Morphological analysis
• Objective: Analyze a data set from an unknown language and match translations with language forms.
• Recommendation: Watch Part 1 of the morphology video for background on morphemes and their determination.

Morphological Analysis

• Definition: The process of analyzing the structure of words within a language.
• Comparison: Similar to solving cryptoquip puzzles, where one letter represents another.

Approach to Analysis

• Mindset: Forget known information about the language; treat the data as a self-contained universe.
• Language Focus: Michoacán Aztec
  • A dialect of Aztec (Nahuatl) spoken in Mexico.
  • Contains a few thousand speakers.

Analysis Process

Step 1: Understanding the Data

• Data Set: Contains limited forms (e.g., house, dog, cornfield, plural markers).
• Comparison: Start with similar forms (minimal pairs) to identify differences.

Step 2: Identifying Morphemes

• Example A & B: "My house" vs "My houses"
  • Common part: "no Kali"
  • Difference: "mas" represents the plural marker.
• Example C & D: "Your house" vs "His house"
  • "mo Kali" vs "e Kali"
  • "mo" means "your", "e" means "his".

Step 3: Verifying Morphemes

• Cross-check: Look at other forms where the identified morphemes appear to confirm meanings.

Step 4: Determining Word Order

• Order: Similar to English
  • Possessive pronoun, noun, plural marker.

Practical Application

Part 2: Translating "Epanol"

• Analysis:
  • "e" as "his"
  • "panol" as "dog"
  • Translation: "his dog"

Part 3: Translating "His Cornfields"

• Steps:
  • Identify morphemes: "e" (his), "quocmealy" (cornfield), "mas" (plural)
  • Construct: "e quocmealy mas"

Tips for Analysis

• Tools: Use highlighters or colored pencils to visually organize and identify morphemes.

Conclusion

• Recap:
  • Treat data as self-contained.
  • Use visual aids to organize information.
  • Practice regularly with puzzles like cryptoquips to enhance analytical skills.
• Encouragement: No prior knowledge needed to succeed in morphological analysis.

Note: This lecture complements Part 1 of the series for understanding morphemes.