Re: L1 learning question

Nik Taylor wrote:

> > "toser" -> "yo toso"
> > "mover" -> "yo muevo"
>
> They're unpredictable, but I wouldn't call them *irregular*, simply
> because they *are* so common.  It's sort of like the Strong Verbs in Ol=
d
> English, which were only semi-predictable.
But this to me just seems to beg the question:  how does one tellwhen to =
draw the line on
just what is predictable?  The Junggrammatiker
of the last century made the great advancement of linguistics that
language is rule based, that there are no, or almost no (in the weaker
formulation) irregularities or exceptions.  The problem with the strong
verbs in OE is that they represented an unproductive paradigm in the
language:  in this sense, they were regular, though the rule regulating
their change was more or less deep into prehistory (OE had no
ablaut to my knowledge).  But if you use the normal meaning of
"irregular", then they were just that.

> Also, I've read a suggestion that the basic form of the verb in Spanish
> be considered to be the infinitive *and* the third person singular
> present indicative, i.e., instead of just saying "mover" as the basic
> form, you'd say that the basic form was "mover/mueve", which would
> automatically make most stem-changing verbs "regular", with a few
> exceptions like "tener".  Third person was chosen because first person
> singular often has additional irregularities, like _tengo_ and other
> "-go" verbs.
The Latin grammarians explained their language essentially in a similar
way:  certain forms of the verbs were based on certain stems (the present
stem, the perfect stem, so forth).  This is the reason that if you go buy
the book "501 English Verbs" (yes, there really is such a thing), it will
list the four English principle parts for every verb.  German is of cours=
e
much easier, as (almost) all present tense irregularities can be explaine=
d by
umlauting the stem vowel (_ich laufe_ "I run", but _er l=E4uft_  /loift/ =
"he runs").



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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

We look at [the Tao], and do not see it;
  Its name is the Invisible.
                 - Lao Tsu, _Tao Te Ching_

Nature is wont to hide herself.
                 - Herakleitos
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