Root and Pattern in Semitic – and Beyond

Abstract

Root‐and‐pattern morphology (R&P), a central feature of Semitic languages, refers to the combination of two types of morphs: (i) roots that are never surface‐true, pronounceable sequences, and (ii) prosodically‐determined templates, with arbitrary prosody and melody. This combination makes these languages typological outliers, of relevance to determining the range of possible rationales in morphological systems. This entry surveys work on several formal aspects of R&P morphology, from approaches that merely formalize the relation between these two types of morphological entities, to approaches that attempt to bring the data closer to more concatenative, universal principles. The second part of the entry illustrates how both templaticity and internal changes occur outside this language family; and yet, none of the cases surveyed qualifies as involving R&P morphology.