Theoretical and methodological aspects in evaluating morphological productivity in corpus languages: A case study on Hittite word-formation

Abstract

This study addresses the theoretical and methodological challenges in evaluating productivity of word-formation processes in corpus languages, utilizing Hittite as a case study. Following a critical examination of the current application of the term “productivity” in Hittitological literature, a more precise definition is proposed, centered on the distinction between profitability and availability. The primary focus of this research lies in the investigation of availability. The challenges associated with studying morphological productivity in an extinct corpus language are confronted through a methodology that com-bines linguistic and philological criteria. Linguistic criteria, based on productivity hierarchies, include the analysis of deriva-tion from loaned bases, competing morphological rules, and derivational chains, while philological criteria draw upon in-sights derived from known Hittite scribal practices.