Morphology-syntax interface: A-N compounds vs. A-N constructs in Modern Greek

Abstract

The main object of this article is the description and the analysis of two-word combinations consisting of an inflected adjective and an inflected noun, e.g. atomiki vomva `atomic bomb', ekdhotikos ikos `publishing house', dhimosios ipalilos `civil servant', etc.1 Evidence that a class of such combinations can in fact constitute compound words will be provided (as proposed by Ralli, 1991, 1992), and an analysis of such compounds will be presented. We will also claim that not all instances of the particular set of constructions are morphological: whereas formations like mavri lista `black list', psixros polemos `cold war', pedhiki xara `playground' and many others with a non-compositional, often idiosyncratic meaning, are compatible with the assumption that they are non-syntactic, morphological constructions, there are also formations which can be considered as being composed in syntax (e.g. odhiko dhiktio `road network', piriniki dhokimi `nuclear testing', proedhriko dhiataghma `presidential decree'). The structure of the latter presents a number of specific properties, similar to the properties of compounds, which, as we claim here, are mainly due to the nature of the lefthand constituent, i.e. the adjective and its structural relationship with the noun it modifies.2