Studies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory73-The Linearization of Affixes: Evidence from Nuu-chah-nulth

Henry Davis, Rose-Marie Déchaine, Martina Wiltschko ? My greatest thanks are due to the speakers of Nuu-chah-nulth who shared with me their time, their humour, and their love for their language: Mary Jane Dick, Katherine Fraser, Carrie Little, Archie Thompson, Barbara Touchie, Barney Williams Jr. , Barney Williams Sr. The linearization of syntactic constructs stands at the forefront of current research on the syntax-phonology interface. This book examines the problem of linearization from a new perspective: that of the linearization of affixes. The driving proposal of this book is that affixation provides a means of satisfying the universal requirement that linguistic outputs be linearized. This hypothesis is tested against extensive original data from Nuu-chah-nulth ("Nootka"; Wakashan family), an endangered Amerindian language remarkable for its complex morphology. This volume introduces typologically rare affixation effects to current theoretical debates surrounding the division of labour between the modules of the grammar.