24.05.2022Inman, Vuillermet present at SLE 2022 "Singular-plural stem alternation: A detailed typology and global distribution"

Department members David Inman and Marine Vuillermet to present a paper at the SLE 2022 conference, August 24-27.

For a subset of verbs, some languages have distinct roots for singular vs. plural subjects (or objects). Based on a sample of 319 languages, we systematically examine the distribution of SG:PL stem alternation and its typological specificities. Our data confirm an overwhelming presence of the phenomenon in North American languages, and a globally common set of core semantics for suppleting verbs. We present a new, detailed typological picture of this largely unexplored phenomenon.