NUMBER INFLECTION IN PORTUGUESE: REDUNDANT FEATURES

Abstract

Abstract

In morphic structural analysis done by Camara Jr. (2002 [1970] 1977), portuguese is presented as a language in which the morpheme which marks the inflection of the word number is added only after the inflection of gender. In addition to this conception Lee (2005) also defends the existence of inflexion number, in certain contexts, before the morpheme [-inho]. The present article confirms the statement of Lee (2005). This means that in many cases there are certain features redundant number that occur before the morpheme [-inho]. It presents, in addition, two possibilities for analysis of morphic words ending in [-zinho] and morphophonemic rules that come into play in transforming the morphemic structure into morphic structure.