Linguistic terminology terms | LETTER - Z

What is a zero?

Here are two senses for zero:

1. A zero is a constituent proposed in an analysis to represent an element held to be present at an abstract level but not realized in the data.
2. A zero is a unit proposed as a contrast to an element that might otherwise be present.

• A zero morph (Ø) proposed for the plural of sheep.
• A zero conjunction proposed for he said Ø he was coming, in contrast with he said that he was coming.
• A zero realization of a semantic argument proposed for the second clause in I eat breakfast before 7 A.M.; John eats Ø about 8 A. M.

Fleming 1988 41

• What is a constituent?

Crystal 1980 388

Robins 1971 note, 212

Fleming 1988 41

What is a zero affix?

A zero affix is the member of a set of inflectional affixes which is represented by the absence of an expected morpheme .

Here is a set of affixes in which one member of the set is a zero affix:

What is zero anaphora?

Zero anaphora is the use of a gap, in a phrase or clause, that has an anaphoric function similar to a pro-form .

It is often described as “referring back” to an expression that supplies the information necessary for interpreting the gap.

In this sentence, the gaps in a straight and narrow [gap], and a broad and crooked [gap] have a zero anaphoric relationship to two roads to eternity.

• What is anaphora?

Hartmann and Stork 1972 258–259

Crystal 1985 339

What is a zero morph?

A zero morph is a morph, consisting of no phonetic form, that is proposed in some analyses as an allomorph of a morpheme that is ordinarily realized by a morph having some phonetic form.

• What is a morph?

Crystal 1985 199

Hartmann and Stork 1972 258

Mish 1991 1371

Matthews 1991 123–124