Morphology : critical concepts in linguistics

Although the study of word structure has always been at the heart of linguistic investigations, in the couple of decades following the publication of Chomsky's Syntatical Structures (1957) morphological investigations were marginalized.

The dominant view in generative linguistics was that all grammatical aspects of word-formation should be dealt with by syntax and all the aspects of words relating to their pronunciation should be part of the province of phonology.

Gradually, however, morphology has been rehabilitated during the last twenty years.

This six volume collection draws together the most significant contributions to morphological theory and analysis which all serious students of morphology should be aware of.

By comparing the stances taken by the different schools about the important issues, the reader will be able to judge the merits of each, with the benefit of evidence rather than prejudice.