What is a zero morph?

Definition
	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.

Example (English)
	The plural form that is realized in two sheep is Ø, in contrast with the plural -s in two goats.

Generic
	A zero morph is a kind of
	What is a morph?

Sources
	Crystal 1985 199
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 258
	Mish 1991 1371
	Matthews 1991 123–124

Context for this page:

Concept module: zero morph
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): Z
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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