In Section 10.7 I suggested that the suffix -er can have...

In Section 10.7 I suggested that the suffix -er can have whatever semantic role is carried by the subject of its base verb. Consider the words loaner and keeper in the sentences below: i. My car was in the garage so they gave me a loaner. ii. This book is a keeper. What challenge do these forms present for the hypothesis in 10.7?

In Section 10.7 I suggested that the suffix -er can have whatever semantic role is carried by the subject of its base verb. Consider the words loaner and keeper in the sentences below:
i. My car was in the garage so they gave me a loaner.
ii. This book is a keeper.
What challenge do these forms present for the hypothesis in 10.7?

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Key Concepts

Morphological Derivation

Morphological derivation is the process of creating new words by adding affixes such as suffixes to base forms. This process often changes a word's meaning or grammatical category and is central to understanding how words form and evolve in a language.

Suffixation and Semantic Role Assignment

Suffixation, particularly with the suffix -er, typically implicates an agent or participant role from the base verb. However, the meanings of derived words can shift based on context, challenging the straightforward assignment of semantic roles from the original verb to the newly formed noun.

Argument Structure Variability

Argument structure variability refers to the phenomenon where the roles assumed by different participants in a sentence do not always map directly onto the roles inherent in the base form during derivation. This variability complicates the hypothesis that the suffix -er consistently carries the same semantic role as the subject of its base verb.

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