Polysynthesis

Abstract

The study of polysynthesis has a long history; but defining it remains a challenge and many researchers have suggested that polysynthesis is not an absolute or unified phenomenon. In this entry, drawing largely on examples from Inuktut and Blackfoot, two Indigenous languages of Canada, we describe the range of grammatical properties that have been proposed to characterize polysynthetic languages. We show that both languages possess all the properties canonically associated with polysynthesis – holophrasis, rich phi‐marking, noun incorporation, lexical affixes, morphological complexity and non‐configurationality; yet they exhibit variation in these properties, as well as in their morphological organization. The entry highlights this variation by contrasting Blackfoot and Inuktut, and also other languages often described as polysynthetic, including Kanien'kéha (Mohawk). We outline theoretical approaches to polysynthesis, focusing on analyses of rich phi‐marking and wordhood and drawing on data from a diverse range of languages. The entry concludes with a discussion of practical challenges for polysynthetic languages, with a focus on Indigenous language revitalization. We suggest that, despite not having a clear and unified theoretical definition, the notion of polysynthesis is useful in language revitalization, particularly for language teachers and learners and those involved in language resource development.