Motivated Syncretism

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the sharing, by two distinctively different functional elements, of a common morphology, and to show how such syncretism is sometimes motivated, and is, in a sense, iconic, since the sharing of a common morphology is a reflexion of important features the two functional elements have in common. More particularly the syncretism of the animate singular obviative and inanimate plural markers that is found throughout the Algonkian languages is examined, and parallels drawn'with similar syncretism in Indo-European languages between feminine singular and neuter plural.