Financial Management of financial statements Essay

Financial Management of financial statements - Essay Example Micro Chip Computer Corporation's net sales target for 2005 is $9,168 which is 10% higher than what is generated in 2004. This sales budget seems reasonable based on the impressive growth posted by the company in 2004. The sales target of $9,168 is lower than the five year average of $9,330. If the company will continue to recovery from the two-year slump, 10% even seems to be a very conservative target. It should be noted that the pre-2002 net sales reached almost $12,000. It is not impossible that the company can generate this income again. Question 1.Use the Percentage Sales Method and a 20% increase in sales to forecast Micro Chip's Consolidated Statement of Operations for the period September 26, 2004 through September 25, 2005. Assume a 15% tax rate and restructuring costs of 2% of the new sales figure. Micro Chip Computer Corporation forecasts that its sales will increase by 20% from the current level. This will result to $10,000.80 gross revenue in the following period. Since the percentage sales method is used to compute the other components of the financial statement, it is assumed that the company will incur the same expenses in proportion to sales. For example, cost of sales was previously 65.49% of total sales. In the computation for the following year, it was also assumed that the company is going to spend 65.49% of its income in cost of sales. It can be seen that using the percentage sales method lead to some unreasonable assumptions. For one, this method assumes that expenses are directly related to the level of sales. This might seem appropriate for a merchandising firm as the cost of goods sold often bloats with sales revenue. However, it doesn't take into account the possible changes in costs. Also, it should be noted that some of the company's costs does not often vary with sales. Fixed cost like selling, general, and administrative expenses are often fixed regardless of sales level. Part B ABC Fitness Activity ratios indicate how well a company manages to turn its resources into cash, revenue or profit. In the case of ABC Fitness, three significant ratios are computed to measure its relative efficiency. The following table shows the average collection period, inventory turnover, and total assets turnover of the business organization. ABC Fitness has an average collection period of 10 days. Its inventory turnover is 10.23 while assets produced 1.79 times revenue. Average Collection Period = Current Accounts Receivables/Average Daily Sales, where Average Daily Sales = Annual Sales/360 days = $2, 004, 016 / 360 days = $5, 560/days Average Collection Period =$55, 514 / $5,560/days =9.98 or 10 days Inventory Turnover = Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory = $1, 446, 733 / $141, 350 = 10.23 Total Asset Turnover = Sales / Total Assets = $2, 00

Statistics Coursework Plan Essay Example for Free

Statistics Coursework Plan Essay In this project, I will be investigating how accurately students can estimate an angle size and the length of a line. I am investigating it to see if age, gender and mathematical capabilities have an effect on how accurate students can estimate a length of a line and an angle size. I will be using secondary raw data which is given to me to my teacher who has collected the data from other students. The accuracy of the data is unknown and also human errors are also likely Outliers and anomalies distort the mean of the data taking it to either of the two extremes. To avoid any Outliers or anomalies affecting the accuracy of this study, I will remove them before taking the sample size of around 80-100 students and I will be using stratified sampling so each category categorized by gender, age and maths set have a equal proportion in the sample as in the total population so the results are as accurate as possible. Any outliers which I may have missed can be eliminated by using the formula – Q1-(1.5)*(IQR) or Q3+(1.5)*(IQR). The three hypotheses I will be investigating will be: Boys estimate the lengths of a line and angle sizes better than girls. – I will be investigating this as boys tend to partake in activities which involve measuring more than girls and so are better than girls at estimating lengths of a line and angle sizes. Year 8 students estimate the angle sizes and lengths of a line better than Year 10 students. – I will be investigating this because Year 8’s may not have the pressure of other subjects yet as they do not have any real exams however Year 10 students may have been preoccupied with other thoughts and so are less accurate at estimating the lengths of a line and angle sizes. Students who are better at estimating the lengths of a line are also good at estimating the angle sizes. – I will be investigating this as students who are good at estimating one are likely to be better at estimating the other as they have good estimation and measuring skills.

pitfalls of herbal supplements :: essays research papers

The four billion a year supplement industry sells steroid supplements and herbal speed to millions of teenage boys and girls. There are many types of supplements; among the most popular are Creatine, Andro (androstenedione), and ephedrine. All of these supplements are legal but are they safe? In this paper I will explore why the FDA has failed to put stronger regulations on these supplements, what they are and what they do, who endorses them, and were and how you can purchase these potentially harmful supplements; with the help from Jay McMahan and his expertise as a personal trainer and user of these herbal supplements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creatine, Andro, and Ephedrine are among the most popular supplements, but do we know what they are and what they do? Creatine is an amino acid compound naturally produced by the kidneys, liver and pancreas, it helps muscles quickly regenerate after exertion. There are no known harmful side effects, though there is evidence that Creatine can cause dehydration, muscle cramps, weight gain and nausea. The supplement Andro (Androstenedione), is produced naturally in the human body, androstenedione is a precursor hormone for testosterone and estrogen. Its structural similarity to steroids suggests it may pose the same risks (liver damage, heart disease, low sperm counts, development of breasts and violent mood swings), though there have been no long-term studies. The stimulant Ephedrine from ma huang or ephedra, a plant used to treat asthma, fevers, and body and joint pain. Though widely available it has been banned from the NFL, the NCAA and the IOC, and the FDA repor ted anecdotal evidence linking it to eighty-one deaths since 1994.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You don’t need a dealer or even an ID card to buy these herbal supplements. All teenagers have to do is go to their local mall and purchase it from GNC (General Nutrition Center). Clerks sell these potentially harmful supplements to any one regardless of their age. It seems that they are even marketing towards kids with products such as Creatine Candy and smoothies in a variety of fruit flavors and loaded with the supplement of their choice. Why hasn’t the Food and Drug Administration put stronger regulations on the purchasing of these supplements? For the ease with which supplements can be gotten we can thank Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. Ten years ago the sport supplement industry was reeling from a string of disasters. The Food and Drug Administrarion began petitioning congress the right to treat supplements like the drugs most scientists say they are and subject them to long, costly such as pharmaceuticals get before they can go to the market.

Riots: Manuscript and Blog

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. I am †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. , a politically active student. The Mayor of London has invited me, to give a speech about riots in London. I would also talk about what we can do to prevent a similar incident. As mentioned, my speech today will mainly be about riots and some several reasons for that. Moreover, I will give some suggestions about what we can do to prevent the riots. I will focus on what the society can do to solve this situation. I will also speech about what the parents and the teachers’ can do for keep the children out of the riots.If some of you don’t know what riots are. I can tell you that it is a form of civil disorder which is characterized by groups how lashing out in a rash of violence against authority, property or people. The riots start on August the 4th, because a policeman killed an Afro-Caribbean man. His family has decided to stage a peaceful protest but it ended out of control. The traffic was diverted and people start ed crashing, smashing and looting. For many people, it was a staggering situations and completely unrealistic. The big question is:† What are the reasons for riots?†The protest for the Afro-Caribbean man was just an opportunity to show their dissatisfaction for the society. Big parts of the population are talking about how the policemen were not able to stop the criminality from vandalising and stealing. The word about riots was spread to South London. Due to this change of area, it is clearly that they have entirely different motives from here on. People all over London have begun to make different sorts of riots. The motive for many of the criminals became â€Å"making money, pure terror, havoc and free stuff†.We can conclude that these different episodes with riots have nothing to do with each other. Experts are discussing what the motives are. They have formed some theories about the motives and the most mentioned arguments are: unemployment, poverty and gang related crime. There are kids down to an age of 9 how robbed homes, stores and businesses. Among the youngest riots are kids who are looking for a rush. The main argument for riots is that it has something to do with unemployment. Unemployment results in poverty.Many people have tendencies to compare themselves with the community and therefore want the lower class to keep up with the middle and higher class. By use of riots has the lower class seen an opportunity to make money to gain a position in the middleclass. The lower classes are blaming the high class for their criminality, because the poor are unhappy with the balance between themselves and the rich part of their country. The youth unemployment rate is low, which result in that 1 out of 5 are not in work.The university are more expensive than ever, and that is the reasons why some of the young people lose hope for the higher education. The young people are unhappy with their present situation. They are getting more disenfra nchised, so they have to be heard. In previous times was it the black people who were victimized, but today it is the young people. The young people make riots, as an excuse to show their dissatisfaction with the society. The motive for the young people to make riots is to be a part of something bigger.Many have seen that the majority of the spotted participants in the riots are between the age of 14 and 18. Most of the people in London, who participate in the riots, are doing it because everybody else is doing it. They persuade each other by means of text message. Many of the riots have occurred as a result of the extreme use of the social media. A new problem is that they also use a Blackberry to spread the word, which involve that the communication is hidden from the police. We have to stop this young people and help them to behave in a better way.If they are old enough to make the crime, they are old enough to face the consequents. There are no correct answers to prevent new rio ts, but we know the reasons for these riots and the problems in the society. We cannot eliminate the inequality, it is impossible, but we can try to reduce it. We have to keep together and try to save our society. We have to protect the children from the criminality and help the family’s how have problem at home. The parents have to take a responsibility and be role models. The police have to take effect immediately and show that this behaviour will not be tolerated.They have to arrest the people how make riots, so they not keep on with the crime. More than 1200 of the rioters have already been arrested. Due to the modern technology, many of the participants have had their image caught, which means that they will be arrested later. In the future need the police a system, so they can find out what the people are encouraging encourage each other and make plans for illegal actions. The government have reduced the charge for the university so the young people have money enough fo r going in school and don’t make crime.A man called David Cameron promised that everyone would survive the current situation. He has 4 importing areas of focus: Rewards hard work Get more discipline in schools. A criminal justice system. Take care of the disrupted families. There are multiple reasons for riots, and we have to stop the riots trend. It is not only the parents, schools, police and sociality how should fight for a better country. We have to stick together and all try to stop the riots. If you know someone with problems, then try to bring them to senses. A society with out riots is a better place for all.

Managing Paediatric Illness and Injury Essay

1. Describe the common types of fractures and how to manage them. Broken bone. Based on the location and severity of the fracture, a broken bone usually must be set into position and supported until it is strong enough to bear weight. Your physician will recommend the most proven treatment approach, usually casting or surgery 2. Describe how to manage a dislocation Relieve pain around the dislocation by applying a cold pack to the area; this will also reduce swelling that can add to discomfort injury. Keep joint immobile and do not try to push the bone back in place. Offer ibuprofens if in severe pain, monitor the patient until the professionals arrive. 3. Describe how to recognise and manage the following head injuries: A concussion: you get dizziness, nausea, loss of memory, mild headache, seeing â€Å"stars†, double vision, numbness and lack of hand-eye coordination. B skull fracture: you will probably see an external wound or bruise on the head and there may be a depression visible on the scalp. Check behind the ears for swelling or bruising. There may be loss of clear fluid or watery blood through an eye or nostril, blood in the white of the eye, a black-eye, and the symmetry of the head or face may be disrupted. The responsiveness of the victim may deteriorate C cerebral compression: levels of response deteriorate; headaches tend to be intense; noisy, slowed, or irregular breathing; pupil sizes unequal; paralysis or weakness on one side of the body or face; drowsiness; temperature spike, fever, or flushed face; personality changes 4. Describe how to manage an infant and a child with foreign bodies in their eyes, ears and nose. If a child gets sand, dust, or paint in their eyes, then we can try removing it ourselves, firstly wear clean pair of disposable gloves, and gently pull the bottom eye lid down, and with a clean wet tissue try to clean the eye, and if that don’t work, then try to wash the eye out with water, position the child’s head over the sink or bowl with eye open and wash the eye out using plastic cup, try to pour the water for the side of the eye, if this still don’t work then go to the nearest walking centre. There are several things that can get stuck in  ears and nose, common ones like batteries, beads, nuts. If a child does get anything small stuck in their nose or ear, unless it can easily be pulled out with a firm grip then go for it, if not don’t try because you may end up pushing it further back and making it difficult, in these kind of situations you need to call a first aider, or take the child to the nearest walking centre to get it removed. 5. Describe how to recognise and manage common eye injuries Eye injuries can range from relatively trivial, such as irritating the eye with shampoo, to extremely serious, resulting in permanent loss of vision. Common causes of eye injuries include, something like a small particle of grit or a twig damages the transparent front part of the eye known as the cornea – this type of injury is known as a corneal abrasion. A foreign body such as a small piece of wood or metal gets stuck in the eye. A sudden blow to the eye, from a fist or a cricket ball for example, causes the middle section of the eye (the uvea) to become swollen – this type of injury is known as traumatic uveitis. Wash your eyes out for 20 minutes if you think they have been exposed to a chemical. Ideally, you should wash the eye with saline solution, but tap water will be fine if saline is unavailable. Use plenty of water. Water from a garden hose or water fountain is okay if you’re outside. Then go immediately to your nearest A&E department. It’s also important to go to A&E if you cut your eye and it starts bleeding or if you have something stuck in your eye. Never try to remove anything from your eye as you could damage it. 6. Describe how to recognise and manage chronic medical conditions including:a. Sickle cell anaemia. Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder in which red blood cells are abnormally shaped. This abnormality can result in painful episodes, serious infections, chronic anaemia, and damage to body organs. These complications can, however, vary from person to person depending on the type of sickle cell disease each has. Some people are relatively healthy and others are hospitalized frequently. But thanks to advancements in early diagnosis and treatment, most kids born with this disorder grow up to live relatively healthy and productive lives. b. Diabetes The main symptoms of diabetes are: feeling very thirsty urinating frequently, particularly at night feeling very tired weight loss and loss of muscle bulk Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly, over weeks or even days. Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because early symptoms tend to be general. The amount of sugar in the blood is usually controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it is broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there is either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced does not work properly. c. asthma Asthma is caused by inflammation of the airways. These are the small tubes, called bronchi, which carry air in and out of the lungs. If you have asthma, the bronchi will be inflamed and more sensitive than normal. When you come into contact with something that irritates your lungs, known as a trigger, your airways become narrow, the muscles around them tighten and there is an increase in the production of sticky mucus. This leads to symptoms including: Difficulty breathing Wheezing and coughing A tight chest. While there is no cure for asthma, there are a number of treatments that can help effectively control the condition. Treatment is based on two important goals: Relieving symptoms Preventing future symptoms and attacks from developing Treatment and prevention involves a combination of medicines, lifestyle advice, and identifying and then avoiding potential asthma triggers. Read more about living with asthma. 7. Describe how to recognise and manage serious sudden illnesses including a. Meningitis Viral meningitis usually gets better within a couple of weeks, with plenty of rest and painkillers for the headache. Bacterial meningitis is treated with antibiotics (medication that treats infections caused by bacteria). Treatment will require admission to hospital, with severe cases treated in an intensive care unit so the body’s vital functions can be supported. The best way to prevent meningitis is by ensuring vaccinations are up-to-date. Children in the UK should receive the available vaccines as part of the childhood vaccination programme. b. Febrile convulsions Febrile seizures are also sometimes called febrile convulsions. During most seizures the child’s body becomes stiff, they lose consciousness and their arms and legs twitch. Some children may wet themselves. This is what’s known as a tonic colonic seizure. If your child is having a febrile seizure, place them in the recovery position. Lay them on their side, on a soft surface, with their face turned to one side. This will stop them swallowing any vomit. It will keep their airway open and help to prevent injury. Stay with your child and try to make a note of how long it lasts. If it is your child’s first seizure, or it lasts longer than five minutes, take them to the nearest hospital as soon as possible or call 999 for an ambulance. While it is unlikely that there is anything seriously wrong, it is best to be sure. If your child has had febrile seizures before and the seizure lasts for less than five minutes. Try not to put anything, including medication, in your c hild’s mouth during a seizure as there is a slight chance that they might bite their tongue. Almost all children make a complete recovery, and there is not a single reported case of a child dying as the direct result of a febrile seizure. 8. Describe how to recognise and treat the effects of extreme cold and extreme heat for an infant and a child. When a child has an extreme cold the signs and symptoms are Shivering in the early stages Cold, pale and dry skin Low temperature 35 degrees or less Irrational behaviour, slow shallow breathing Cold to touch Unusually quite Refuses to feed Treatment for this will be to remove and replace wet clothing, wrap in a warm blanket cover their head place in a warm room. Give them a hot drink only if they can hold the cup. If it’s a baby then warm them up slowly and place them in a warm room, use your body heat to warm them, and seek for medical advice. When a infant or child has an extreme heat the signs and symptoms could be Gradual onset Sweating, cold, clammy skin Dizziness, confusion, headache Cramps in limbs and or abdomen Shallow rapid breathing, nausea Treatment for this is Reassure, remove casualty to cool place Lie down with legs raised If conscious encourage to sip plenty of fluids If recovery is rapid advise them to see the doctor If unconscious put them in recovery and call 999 for ambulance

Free Essays on America

America is a fiend, Dirty as hell But still manages To keep its nose clean. Orchestrating its addiction And drawing it into its veins, Traveling through the bloodstream, Wreaking havoc, and affecting the complexities of the brain; Craving the means To stay constantly high, The addiction is so strong, It makes the Creator cry. America uses power To get its fix, By taking from the poor To make its dealers rich; How long will the addiction go on? How long will America continue to stand? Militant forces are contributors To the addictions of this pain-ridden land; Being prostituted and pimped out By notorious leaders, Being destroyed, tormented, and abused By parasitical feeders; America’s eyes are seeing Hallucinations, Bringing on constituted Fascinations; Continuously chasing after its own dream Of communism, capitalism, and the justification Of deliberate racism; To keep America’s alcoholism intact There’s a liquor store on every ghetto block, The battle between all of America’s addictions Keeps it in an ongoing culture shock. Convulsing, twisting, and turning as America attempts to withdraw†¦ To live in peace and become governed by its own rules And abide by its laws. Due to fatal violence, America has lost tremendous weight, Trying to walk upright and keep Its equilibrium straight; Having unbelievable side effects That somehow affects every cell In America’s body, which are us, Underhandedly receiving shipments Of cocaine, heroin, and pounds of cannabis; Keeping America under surveillance To monitor its response and to see if it fails, Addicted Americans are being manipulated To fill empty jail cells. Contraband from other countries Seem to be smuggled in everyday, To America my heart goes out, And for America I will pray... Free Essays on America Free Essays on America 1.Between 1890 and 1910, many immigrants came to America to escape political and religious persecution or economic poverty. In the film â€Å"An American Tail† there is a song that includes the lyrics, â€Å" there are no cats in America and the streets are paved with cheese†. In this essay I am going to provide an interpretation behind the meaning of the lyrics and how it relates to the story of immigrants. In the first part of the lyrics they describe an America were there are no cats. One of the ways I took this as was that there is no war in America. Another way I took it is that there is a lack of the bourgeoisie. Which when they got here most were probably greatly surprised to find the corruption that took place in the United States government. Large corporations such as some of the larger steel companies controlled most every thing. Also children were forced to work long hours with out breaks in hazardous environments some as young as ten. Now In the second portion of the lyrics it refers to the streets as if they were paved with cheese which in human terms would mean that the streets are paved with gold. This could mean one thing that every one in America is rich and everyone has job. Which was another false statement most immigrants that came to America had to work in some form of job just to barley feed their family. In the early 1910’s almost half of the women who worked in such jobs as factory workers, store clerks, and laundresses earned less that $6 a week. The commission on industry relations reported in 1916 that this salary means â€Å"that every penny must be counted, every normal desire stifled, and each basic necessity of life barley satisfied. 2.It is said that America is a melting pot. All religions, languages, cultured, races, and ethnic groups melted together to form one unique American culture. I take this to be a true statement because of the mixing of cultures that took place during this time per... Free Essays on America America is a fiend, Dirty as hell But still manages To keep its nose clean. Orchestrating its addiction And drawing it into its veins, Traveling through the bloodstream, Wreaking havoc, and affecting the complexities of the brain; Craving the means To stay constantly high, The addiction is so strong, It makes the Creator cry. America uses power To get its fix, By taking from the poor To make its dealers rich; How long will the addiction go on? How long will America continue to stand? Militant forces are contributors To the addictions of this pain-ridden land; Being prostituted and pimped out By notorious leaders, Being destroyed, tormented, and abused By parasitical feeders; America’s eyes are seeing Hallucinations, Bringing on constituted Fascinations; Continuously chasing after its own dream Of communism, capitalism, and the justification Of deliberate racism; To keep America’s alcoholism intact There’s a liquor store on every ghetto block, The battle between all of America’s addictions Keeps it in an ongoing culture shock. Convulsing, twisting, and turning as America attempts to withdraw†¦ To live in peace and become governed by its own rules And abide by its laws. Due to fatal violence, America has lost tremendous weight, Trying to walk upright and keep Its equilibrium straight; Having unbelievable side effects That somehow affects every cell In America’s body, which are us, Underhandedly receiving shipments Of cocaine, heroin, and pounds of cannabis; Keeping America under surveillance To monitor its response and to see if it fails, Addicted Americans are being manipulated To fill empty jail cells. Contraband from other countries Seem to be smuggled in everyday, To America my heart goes out, And for America I will pray... Free Essays on America An American is someone who can walk out on their front porch early in the morning and smell the fresh air. An American is someone who can believe in what they want to believe in. An American is someone who can be themselves without being told who or how to be. An American has the privilege to go to school, work, or anywhere else they may want to go. An American has so many advantages over other people in other countries because an American has freedom. I am an American. In other countries they may not always get to believe in what they want to, but we do in America. In America we can believe in whoever or whatever we want to believe in. In America we are very open with our different religions. I am a Christian. I believe in God, and that there is a heaven and a hell. I am a Southern Baptist, and a current member of Calvary Baptist Church. When I was eleven years old, I was saved and Baptized. My step-mother had a huge impact on my religion life. When Tom, my biological father, and Allison, my step-mother, were married she insisted that Tom and myself go to church with her. When I started going to church it changed my life completely. Everything seemed to go better in my life when I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior. I am glad that we are not told who or what we are allowed to believe in and if we do believe in something we are not punished or criticized for it. However, even some religions are sometimes looked down upon in America, b ut you can not be punished. In many countries men are considered better then women. Which is definitely not true. Everyone is considered equal in Gods eyes, which is my personal opinion. However, in America women are treated the same way men are. Men are not usually considered of more importance than women. Girls even play most of the same sports as guys do. I enjoy playing football, soccer, tennis, and I love to swim. In America we can play sports in school or out of school. I... Free Essays on America Immigration to America in the early 1900's In the eyes of the early American colonists and the founders of the Constitution, the United States was to represent the ideals of acceptance and tolerance to those of all walks of life. When the immigration rush began in the mid-1800’s, America proved to be everything but that. The millions of immigrants would soon realize the meaning of hardship and rejection as newcomers, as they attempted to assimilate into American culture. For countless immigrants, the struggle to arrive in America was rivaled only by the struggle to gain acceptance among the existing American population. It has been said that immigration is as old as America itself. Immigration traces back as far as the 1500’s when the West faced the coming of the Spanish. At that time, the Americas had been settled by the Indians, who were soon threatened by the first immigrants of America. These Spanish conquerors threatened to undermine the culture of the Indians as well as their way of life. Evidently, immigr ation started from the beginning of our country’s time and has had an everlasting effect on America today. Between 1880 and 1920 almost twenty-four million immigrants came to the United States. Between better salaries, religious freedom, and a chance to get ahead in life, were more than enough reasons for leaving their homelands for America. Because of poverty, no future and various discrimination in their homelands, the incentive to leave was increasing. During the mid-1800’s and early 1900’s, the labor and farm hands in Eastern Europe were only earning about 15 to 30 a day. In America, they earned 50 cents to one dollat in a day, doubling their paycheck. Those lower wage earners in their homeland were stuck in lowest paid jobs and had no chances to upgrade themselves. Many left their homelands in search of a better life and soon, word got out on how great things were in America. The job recruiters form Americ... Free Essays on America America annon The United Stated is currently the most influential country on the face of the earth. Not only concerning the issues of money and business but also our choices of music clothes and recreational activities. Often times people think of countries such as Japan and China as being completely different. We think they have strange dress and odd customs, they are thought to have a completely different culture than ours. You will find that that is incorrect, the ir cultures are actually very similar to ours. Because of the amount of clothing, food and other products that we ship out of this country every day our culture has no choice but to ooze out of our borders onto foreign soil. For example you could walk i nto a modern Japanese society expecting a bunch of old people kneeling on dirt floors wearing kimonos and drinking green tea but actually find a society of youths wearing Levi jeans, trendy clothes, listening to American pop-rock music, and eating Big Mac s that they just bought from down the street at their local McDonalds. You could also find a group of people watching a football game and gossiping about the new movie with â€Å"that really hot American chick in it†. Of course a ll countries have different h olidays and traditions, they eat different foods and have customs that seem strange to us but more and more their ways seem to be becoming like those of us here in the United States of America. The question asks if I think that the influence of our â€Å"pop culture† will continue. I think that that all depends on weather or not we remain the worlds â€Å"super power† in the future. I think that the reason that we are imitated by other countries is bec ause of our wealth and power. It is sort of like the United States is the most popular girl in school. She has a bunch of followers who dress like her, do their hair like her and claim to like the same music and movies as her. But no matter how hard th ey try the...

The organisation of the sales force

The organisation of the sales force The value of the sales force in any business organization is indispensable. The sales people play a critical role as they convince consumers to purchase products of an organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The organisation of the sales force specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it is important to organize the sales force in a manner that supports an organization on various fronts. Specifically, the organization of the sales force should support the pursuit of an organisation’s goals. Structuring follows a well laid down strategy. The structuring of any department is done based on the strategies, objectives, and goals of an organization. Objectives of structuring include getting results from customers, developing new businesses, retaining or increasing current business and increasing customer loyalty. Primarily, sales strategies seek to present solutions to problems that arise from advertising, rei nforce the importance of advertising, creating product value, dominating the supply channels and embracing innovation (Katzenbach and Smith, 2003). Sales management strategies differ depending on various circumstances. As an illustration, an organization may decide to use supply pricing vs. demand pricing. Alternatively, a differentiated or commodity approach may be used. Other approaches such as cross-platform versus single medium, innovative versus traditional, numbers-oriented versus results oriented, etc are used. The realization that a number of variables influence sales implies that structuring the sales departments is a complex task. Customer-Oriented sales force structure One approach that is useful in organizing sales people is based on customer orientation (Kleinman, 2009). This implies that organisations may decide to structure the sales force in a way that lays emphasis on the customer. In this regard, an organization may develop a product-oriented or customer-oriented s tructure.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, an organization using this approach may organize the sales staff depending on the type of customers. In this scenario, an organization would have retail sales teams, agency sales teams, national sales teams, etc. Organizing the sales team by category is another form of customer-oriented structuring. As an illustration, magazines and newspaper sales departments are organized in terms of categories. More precisely, there are such categories as retail, automotive, jewellery, etc. However, in most cases, large sales departments are organized as verticals or categories. The advantage of using this structure lies on the notion that it enables the salespeople in each group to develop into experts in the respective categories. This structure allows the sales people to be more knowledgeable regarding customer businesses a nd more informed on trends in the industry. An organization’s compensation system influences the structuring of the sales teams into categories. By way of illustration, most organizations pay their sales staff by commission. The commissions are directly related to the volume of sales. It is thus evident that such a system rewards individual performance. Consequently, organizations that offer individual rewards do not encourage the use of category marketing. Category marketing is not preferred in organizations as some categories stand to benefit more than others as different products sell at different rates. The customer-oriented sales structure has a negative part as customers coming from different regions may force sales representatives to spend more resources and time travelling to meet. Product-Oriented sales force structure The products a firm deals in influences the organization of sales staff. By way of illustration, the nature of a product may force a radio network to have different sales teams. Such teams would include a daytime sales group, a prime sales group, a sports sales group, a late night sales group, etc. Regarding a newspaper network such as the Sunday Times, there are multiple products including the Sunday Times magazine and the Sunday paper, hence, the sales staff may be structured based on the product and later by category. Categories are determined based on the product teams.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The organisation of the sales force specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The span of control is an important factor that influences the structuring of sales teams. The span of control has six variables. The variables include sales manager experience, sales person experience, necessary interaction, sales person personality, job scope and task complexity (Ingram, 2008). In reference to the span of control, important questions centre on the number of people who report to a manager. In this regard, job complexity should be considered. Task complexity depends upon such factors as deal, number of categories and proximity of the customer. It is noticeable that some sales tasks are relatively simple as small transactions are involved, for example, transacting a classified advertisement is possibly handled using a telephone conversation. However transacting cross-platform deals is not easy. This view is held since the latter transaction demands more negotiation sessions while the former may not require more than one session. It is thus clear that the second deal requires more preparation. In addition, the location of customers influences the structuring of the sales force. As an illustration, if retailers are close to a newspaper office, then the sellers do not need to travel long distances. Apart from job complexity, job scope affects the structuring of the sales people. In regards to the scope of job, such aspects as the buying cycle, the nature of c ustomer and nature of product are examined. It is important to note that some sales tasks have a limited focus. Such seals as those involving radio advertising may require little preparation or none at all. On the other hand, other some sales may require cross-platform selling which may involve the use of several advertising media. These are sales tasks that have a higher level of complexity and require advanced preparations. It is thus evident that complex jobs demand extra work and may influence the structuring of sales people. This underscores the point that the more complex a product is, the more complex advertising is, and thus this affects the structure of the sales team. More precisely, complex sales require more support staff (Ingram, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Regarding necessary interaction, it is worth noting that some jobs require minimum while other call for maximum attention. Sales work demand different levels of interaction between a sales representative and a manager. Some jobs may require constant contact while others do not. As an illustration, a sales representative dealing in a short business cycle where there are high-level negotiations, interaction with the manager is frequently done within short periods. Such would not be the case when a sales person is handling straightforward products that do not require negotiations (Ingram, 2008). The level of experience a sales person holds is crucial in the structuring of the sales force. Those people who have lengthy experience in sales do not need to keep constant contact with management regarding what to do. Thus, a sales executive dealing with experienced sales representatives are allowed a broader scope of control (Ingram, 2008). The approach is useful when dealing in products tha t are produced using sophisticated technologies. The structuring also depends on whether products are interrelated or not. Precisely, every sales team is assigned a responsibility of selling specific products. Geographic-oriented sales force structure The geographic-oriented sales approach presents another way of organizing the sales force within an organization. In this approach, an organization segments its target market into regions (Katzenbach and Smith, 2003). After the segmentation, each region, district, country or any other geographical division is assigned a sales representative or a group of sales representatives. Dividing a market into regions and assigning the divisions to sales representatives is valuable as such helps in improving communication and interaction between organizations and sales representatives. Additionally, the notion that a sales representative is engaged within a specific region supports the view that costs are reduced since travelling is limited. It s hould also be noted that assigning specific people to deal with regions helps such personnel to understand the preferences of customers within the areas of operation. Such an understanding is invaluable since the sales people are able to convey the customer preferences and views to the producers. Based on the information gathered and forwarded to the management by the sales people, the organisations in question have the opportunity to respond by producing products that meet the customers’ specifications. In the process, an organisation benefits from increased sales. Despite the establishment above that organisations gain from geographic-based sales force, it is worth noting that disadvantages abound. As an example, it is difficult to have a homogenous group in any region. This implies that the demand for products in a region is never uniform since customers are spread across various classes. As such, using the geographic-based approach is not helpful in understanding the diff erent classes of consumers because the sales staff may be tempted to lump the consumers of a region into one group. Combination-based sales force structure The fourth approach to organizing the sales force is combination-based. Just as the name suggests, it is possible to put the three approaches together in order to help structure or restructure the sales force (Katzenbach and Smith, 2003). This approach is predominantly preferable in cases where organizations offer different products to various groups of people in a big region. Alternatively, the approach is useful when a business entity focuses on various customers or products within a specific location. By way of illustration, in a bid to underscore a product’s strategic value or to position the product strategically and avoid other products distracting the sales people, an organization should structure the sales force based on the particular product while sales groups of other products are organized bearing in mind the g eography. In embracing this approach, an organization stands a chance to avoid facing the disadvantages associated with the other three approaches. However, it is notable that this approach requires the recruitment of a big number of sales people and as such, the approach is suitable for large enterprises. Using a combination of the sales approaches is very important. Such an approach would ensure that all needs of the different customers are taken into consideration irrespective of the location. Important observations Central to the idea of organizing sales teams is the pursuit of organizational goals as indicated in the introductory part of the paper. This follows from the premise that the way an organization structures its sales force has a bearing on the performance of a business entity. It is expected that the right marketing structure is necessary if any a business is to realize its goals. Right from the initial stages, organizations focus on setting up their sales teams in a manner that is aimed at maximizing sales, improving customer experience and encouraging repeat purchases. Every important manager should take responsibility regarding the association between a consumer and the business. Towards achieving this goal, the manager makes an effort to ensure that customer concerns are addressed by keeping close contact. It would thus emerge based on this observation that the marketing arrangement is intended to foster customer contact and improve a business’ fortunes. It is noticeable that in small businesses, marketing is in most cases structured as a supportive service for sales. This implies that employees report to those individuals that head the sales department. This approach may work well although the marketing strategy is likely to suffer, as other activities involving market research are likely to be relegated to the periphery. However, by structuring an entity with combined sales personnel, a business is in a position to minimize such ris ks. The choice of the structure used in organizing the sales force lies with organizational managers. However, irrespective of the structure an organization chooses, the role of communication is important. This is because, feedback from customers is sought in order to improve services or products. In addition, market research is crucial as it facilitates gathering of competitor intelligence that is useful in helping the sales teams to hone their skills. Conclusion The sales management team is responsible for organizing the sales force. As this essay establishes, the management has the option of organizing the sales force geographically, based on the products sold, based on customer focus or combining these models. Using the geographical structuring approach, sales representatives occupy specific geographical divisions. Although, this approach is cheap as it lowers expenses, it may pose problems since geographical sales representatives do not have a good opportunity to understand ful ly all products offered. Secondly, the use of the product-based approach allows the structuring of a sales force based on special expertise. This approach is useful as it allows only specialized sales people to deal in certain products or respond to needs of special customers. Further, the approach facilitates learning and enables the sales personnel to develop their knowledge on the products in question. Using the customer-oriented approach, an organization gets the chance to align its sales with customer requirements. Based on the paper it emerges that each approach has its benefits and setbacks. In a bid to mitigate the drawbacks that characterize each approach, it is proposed that organizations consider using a combined approach to organizing the sales force. However, only big organizations have the necessary resources to use the combined approach and as thus, it may not be a solution to small organizations. Before choosing the model to embrace in business, it is important for a ny organisation to establish the goals it seeks to achieve. After taking the first step, it is valuable to align the structuring approach with the goals being pursued. Additionally, the size of the business and the costs likely to be incurred should be considered while making the choice of the right structure. As the paper establishes, each approach has its strengths and weaknesses and it is thus important to weigh them. In conclusion, taking the combined approach is preferable although the model may be out of reach for the small organisations. Reference List Ingram, T.N. et al. (2008). Sales Management: Analysis and Decision Making. Armonk, Town of North Castle, New York: M.E. Sharpe. Katzenbach, J.R. Smith, D.K. (2003). The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Kleinman, D. (2009). All Star Sales Teams: 8 Steps to Spectacular Success UsingGoals, Values, Vision, and Rewards: Easy Read Comfort. New York: Read.

Reasons for Humanity to Go Back to the Moon

Reasons for Humanity to Go Back to the Moon It has been  decades since the first astronauts walked on the lunar surface. Since then, nobody has set foot on our nearest neighbor in space. Sure, a fleet of probes have headed to the Moon, and they have supplied a lot of information about conditions there.   Is it time to send people to the Moon? The answer coming from the space community is a qualified yes. What that means is, there are missions on the planning boards, but also many questions about what people will do to get there and what theyll do once they set foot on the dusty surface. What Are the Obstacles? The last time people landed on the Moon was in 1972. Since then, a variety of political and economic reasons have kept space agencies from continuing those bold steps. However, the big issues are money, safety, and justifications. The most obvious reason that lunar missions arent happening as quickly as people would like is their cost. NASA spent billions of dollars during the 1960s and early 70s developing the Apollo missions. These happened at the height of the Cold War when the U.S. and the former Soviet Union were at odds politically but were not actively fighting each other in land wars. The expenses of trips to the Moon were tolerated by American people and Soviet citizens for the sake of patriotism and staying ahead of each other. Although there are many good reasons to go back to the Moon, its tough to get a political consensus on spending taxpayer money to do it. Safety Is Important The second reason hampering lunar exploration is the sheer danger of such an enterprise. Faced with the immense challenges that plagued NASA during the 1950s and 60s, it is no small wonder that anyone ever made it to the Moon. Several astronauts lost their lives during the Apollo program, and many technological setbacks took place along the way. However, long-term missions aboard the International Space Station show that humans can  live and work in space, and new developments in space launch and transport capabilities are promising safer ways to get to the Moon. Why Go? The third reason for a lack of lunar missions is that there needs to be a clear mission and goals.  While interesting and scientifically important experiments can always be done, people are also interested in return on investment. Thats particularly true for companies and institutions interested in making money from lunar mining, science research, and tourism. Its easier to send robot probes to do science, although its better to send people. With human missions come higher expenses in terms of life support and safety. With the advances of robotic space probes, a great amount of data can be gathered at a much lower cost and without endangering human life. The big-picture questions, like how did the solar system form, require much longer and more extensive trips than just a couple days on the Moon. Things Are Changing The good news is that attitudes toward lunar trips can and do change, and its likely that a human mission to the Moon will happen within a decade or less. Current NASA mission scenarios include trips to the lunar surface and also to an asteroid, although the asteroid trip may be of more interest to mining companies.   Traveling to the Moon will still be expensive. However, NASA mission planners feel that the benefits outweigh the cost. Even more important, the government foresees a good return on investment. Thats actually a very good argument. The Apollo missions required a significant initial investment. However, technology- weather satellite systems, global positioning systems (GPS), and advanced communication devices, among other advancements- created to support the lunar missions and subsequent planetary science missions are now in everyday use on Earth. New technologies aimed specifically at future lunar missions would also find their way into the worlds economies, spurring a good return on investment Expanding Lunar Interest Other countries are looking quite seriously at sending lunar missions, most specifically China and Japan.  The Chinese have been very clear about their intentions, and have good capability to carry out a long-term lunar mission. Their activities may well spur American and European agencies into a mini race to also build lunar bases. Lunar orbiting laboratories may make an excellent next step, no matter who builds and sends them.   The technology available now, and that to be developed during any concentrated missions to the Moon, would allow scientists to do much more detailed (and longer) studies of the Moons surface and sub-surface systems. Scientists would get the opportunity to answer some of the big questions about how our solar system was formed, or the details about how Moon was created and its geology. Lunar exploration would stimulate new avenues of study. People also expect that lunar tourism would be another way to maximize exploration.   Missions to Mars are also  hot news these days. Some scenarios see humans heading to the Red Planet within a few years, while others foresee Mars missions by the 2030s. Returning to the Moon is an important step in Mars mission planning. The hope is that people could spend time on the Moon to learn how to live in a forbidding environment. If something went wrong, rescue would be only a few days away, rather than months.   Finally, there are valuable resources on the Moon that can be used for other space missions. Liquid oxygen is a major component of the propellant needed for current space travel. NASA believes that this resource can be easily extracted from the Moon and stored at deposit sites for use by other missions - particularly by sending astronauts to Mars. Many other minerals exist, and even some water stores,  that can be mined as well. The Verdict Humans have always made an effort to understand the universe, and going to the Moon does seem to be the next logical step for many reasons. It will be interesting to see who starts up the next race to the Moon. Edited and revised by Carolyn Collins Petersen

Consequences and Significance report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Consequences and Significance report - Essay Example Once they get penetrated into the human body, destroy biological cells and hence process as a whole(Cohen). These radiations are the cause of cancer in most of the patients; whereas genetic disorders produced by these radiations are relatively less frightening. Nuclear power used in nuclear plants apparently seems to be a clean source of energy but it really is not. Like thermal power plants, nuclear power plants also need sinks for transferring heat energy and reduce temperature of the fluid. In case of nuclear reactors, 60 to 70% of energy is rejected into the environment and is not used by the system(Jaffer). This energy is either expelled out of the system by developing artificial lakes or reservoirs or by making use of natural resources. In such cases, the aquatic life is adversely affected and ecosystem is destroyed. Another drawback of using natural water bodies as a heat sink for nuclear reactors is that the water in rivers and lakes gets heated which when falls into the seas thus resulting in sudden climatic changes that may result in calamities. Also increased temperature has resulted in faster melting down process of glaciers and northern and southern caps, thus resulting in increased sea level. A nuclear reactor is not only a threat to the environment due to the emission of excess radiations into the environment, but it also emits hazardous gases into the environment. A nuclear reactor makes use of diesel generators for providing emergency backup system. These generators are also used at least once a month to carry out maintenance processes and thus result in the production of excess GHG emissions into the atmosphere. Not only this, nuclear reactors generate radioactive gaseous emission as well into the environment. These are generated either as a result of radioactive processes being carried out in the reactor or the exhaust of

The legalization of Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The legalization of Marijuana - Essay Example In addition, the possibility of using the crop as a major cash crop to spur development among farmers poses an important economic opportunity worth exploration. Hayes (2013) is one of those who opposed to any move to legalize marijuana. In his article, â€Å"why Marijuana Shouldn’t Be Legalized,† he presents his reasons why he feels that marijuana should remain illegal in the country. Hayes begins by highlighting that he is one among the many people who have been impacted either directly or indirectly by marijuana smoking. He claims that he has many friends and family members who are addicts to weed smoking. In addition, he argues that he grew up in Oregon, a state notoriously known for weed smoking and brags about possessing the best weed in the country. Since weed, smoking is very prevalent in this state, the debate as to whether the state needs to legalize marijuana or not, often forms the center of debate every time elections come up. However, Hayes (2013) is worrie d that any move to legalize the use of marijuana in the country may have serious consequences. He begins by comparing the marijuana debate to the abortion issue in the in the 1970s, that ended in the Roe vs. Wade case, which culminated in the legalization of abortion. In this regard, Hayes point out that the debate regarding the legalization of marijuana might soon result in a ruling that might have serious consequences to the generation that is yet to come. Even though Hayes agrees with some of the benefits associated with smoking of marijuana in the country, he is very much worried of the side effects links to marijuana smoking. Hayes first major reason for opposing the legalization of marijuana in the country is linked to the fact that smoking or ingesting the weed can cause serious health issue, including lung cancer, high blood pressure, heart complications, maniac disorders, and mental impairment. In proving his claim, Hayes (2013) cited a research conducted by Roger Roffman o f the University of Washington who found that a majority of marijuana smokers suffer from the side effects of the smoking or ingestion of the weed. The professor found out that most marijuana smokers find themselves mentally impaired, which results in inability to think rationally. Another study conducted by Ruben Baler confirmed the earlier research conducted by Roffman by showing that the THC chemical substance found in marijuana is capable of corrupting the chemical activities of the brain, thereby resulting in mental impairment and the inability to reason rationally. Therefore, Hayes is very much worried that the legalization of marijuana in the country might increase preventable diseases among the youths in the country. In fact, he says that he does not want to imagine seeing a 23-year-old sitting comfortably smoking marijuana. Hayes (2013) would like to see these youths grow up in an environment free of marijuana smoking. This is only achievable by maintaining the illegal stat us of marijuana in the country. Hayes also points out that marijuana smoking has been linked to bad behaviors. In this regard, he noted that marijuana smokers are likely to commit crime due to their status of the mind. This implies that legalizing the weed might increase the number of smokers, which effectively increases the number of crime committed in the country.

Impact of Condom Availability on Students in High Schools Essay

Impact of Condom Availability on Students in High Schools - Essay Example Using past studies on this issue, this discussion will find out if condom availability programs in high schools have met their objectives or not. According to Schuster, Bell, Berry, and Kanouse, each day, American teenagers risk unwanted pregnancies, HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases by participating in unprotected sex (67). Most sexually active teenagers do not consider the precautions, as well as the repercussions often involved in this. This is an uncontrollable fact, and so the best way to ensure their safety is by making protection available to them. This has however raised a lot of controversy, leading to a heated debate on the same. The proponents of condom availability programs argue that providing condoms to teenagers will lower their risks of unwanted pregnancies, HIV, and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). Those opposed to this program argue that condom availability will compromise the teenager’s sexual decisions and plunge them into promiscuity. This move also presents an assumption that schools condone teenage sex, and this encourages teens to engage in sexual activity (Schuster, Bell, Berry, and Kanouse 68). ... Owing to this, different researches and studies have been conducted to evaluate the viability of this program. These revealed a variety of results. One study revealed that the response of students on these programs was favorable. However, males made most use of the condoms than females. In another study, an increase in the use of condoms was realized. However, no change in the students’ sexual activity was realized (American Academy of Pediatrics 1464-1467). Ideally, it is the role of parents to educate their teenage children on sexual matters. This responsibility has however transferred to teachers, since teens spend a considerable amount of their time in schools and not at home. This is incorporated in schools’ sex education. Most schools take different approaches in teaching sex education. Some insist on abstinence, while others are for both abstinence and protected sex. Those that encourage abstinence do not avail condoms to their students. On the other hand, those that advocate for both abstinence and protected sex will always make condoms available to their students in order for them to practice safe sex. Every year, a considerable number of teenagers fall victim to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections due to lack of knowledge, and the unavailability of condoms within their reach. This therefore suggests that high schools need to teach their students on the use of condoms, and make condoms available to them. Failure to do this will not solve the problems related to teenage sexuality. In 1986, a survey was undertaken on teenage sex, and the results showed that condoms would influence positively on teenage sexual

Actively Engage in Evaluation of Own Performance Essay - 1

Actively Engage in Evaluation of Own Performance - Essay Example The reporter declares that "the overall experience, according to me, was good as I realized my mistakes and got a chance to overcome my weaknesses. It is nice to have a person who was there to guide me about the shortcomings and show me the path to improvement. The path that my teacher suggested was free writing classes at Humber. The information about your weaknesses helps you improve and eliminate them. I have experienced it when my teacher my teacher gave me feedback that my writing skills need improvements and I took immediate steps to improve my writing skills. I also actively engage in evaluation of my own performance and it helps me in the identification of personal strengths and areas of growth and development. According to the article Thematic analysis of written assignment feedback: Implications for nurse education ,†Feedback is now accepted as a key factor affecting learning and, in educational settings, the term feedback is used in the context of assessments, where its main function is to provide information about students current performance as well as constructive comments that enhances future earning†. So, it is very important to measure your performance and evaluate the areas that require improvement. Description: In this week’s group meeting we created a project named logic model for community outreach project. In the Project logic model, we discussed all the steps that are part of our final project."

Cultural Change and Transformation Throughout Military History Essay

Cultural Change and Transformation Throughout Military History - Essay Example The role of cultural understanding as a factor influencing military operations is examined in this paper. Reference is made to two particular military operations: the American Civil War and the Operation Iraqi...... The economic development between the North and the South was not equal; the North, based on the principle of freedom of all people no matter their race, was able to absorb the immigrants and support a rapid industrial development. On the contrary, the South where immigrants were needed for supporting the farming activities of the local population, different rules – in terms of equality among people – existed. In South, farmers were asking for more slaves in order to respond to the needs of the continuously increased production. For example, the production of cotton in South was increased to ‘2.3 billion pounds in 1860, i.e. at about 230 percent during the 1850s’ (Macrohistory and World Report 2011, online article). Under the above terms, the number of slaves in USA was continuously increased, reaching in 1860 the 3,953,760 – from 1.2 million in 1800s (Macrohistory and World Report 2011, online article). Almost all slaves were living in South, a fact that led to the clear cultural differentiation between North and South. In South, the political and military authorities respected the principles of equality and freedom; in South, slavery was the rule for black and people in minorities. In terms of the characteristics of the society also, North was different from South; in North, middleclass people represented the high percentage of the population, a fact that led to the development of different ethics and culture compared to the South where the distinction between the classes was significant; two main social classes could be identified in South: the farmers and the poor people (Macrohistory and World Report 2011, online article). On the other hand, in North people did not have many chances for entertainment. They

Actively Engage in Evaluation of Own Performance Essay - 1

Actively Engage in Evaluation of Own Performance - Essay Example The reporter declares that "the overall experience, according to me, was good as I realized my mistakes and got a chance to overcome my weaknesses. It is nice to have a person who was there to guide me about the shortcomings and show me the path to improvement. The path that my teacher suggested was free writing classes at Humber. The information about your weaknesses helps you improve and eliminate them. I have experienced it when my teacher my teacher gave me feedback that my writing skills need improvements and I took immediate steps to improve my writing skills. I also actively engage in evaluation of my own performance and it helps me in the identification of personal strengths and areas of growth and development. According to the article Thematic analysis of written assignment feedback: Implications for nurse education ,†Feedback is now accepted as a key factor affecting learning and, in educational settings, the term feedback is used in the context of assessments, where its main function is to provide information about students current performance as well as constructive comments that enhances future earning†. So, it is very important to measure your performance and evaluate the areas that require improvement. Description: In this week’s group meeting we created a project named logic model for community outreach project. In the Project logic model, we discussed all the steps that are part of our final project."

Downgrade Warning Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Downgrade Warning - Term Paper Example According to the report ‘J.P. Morgan Tells Analysts To Warn of a Downgrade’ analysts independence is negatively affected when it needs to clearly communicate to the company and the client banker the reason behind specific stock recommendations. Analysts are warned from conducting negative research and some firms penalize investors for recommending sale options. †¢ What exactly does Peter Houghtons memo say? Does the memo say that analysts should compromise their independence? How does the memo raise questions about analysts independence? Does it make any difference whether "analysts arent pressured to change recommendations, but only to make factual changes"? Ans) The memo of Peter Houghton does not directly point to analysts’ independence. The memo states that analysts should consult the company and the client banker before making recommendations to an investor. Also the analyst should either accept the request of the research note recommended by the firm or should clearly communicate to the firm as to why it cannot follow those recommendations. Yes, there is difference between asking analyst to change recommendations and making factual changes. †¢ What are the "buy side" and "sell side"? Why might the "sell side" be unwilling to make "sell" recommendations on stocks? If the "buy side" has its own analysts, would the "buy side" ever look at "sell side" analysts reports? Ans) The ‘buy side’ and the ‘sell side’ are the two types of analysts. ‘Sell’ recommendation is considered as a part of negative research which affects the firm negatively so the sell recommendation on stocks is viewed in a negative manner. â€Å"Sell-side analysts typically work for full-service broker-dealers and make recommendations on the securities they cover. Buy-side analysts typically work for institutional money managers— that purchase securities for their own accounts† (Analyzing Analyst Recommendations para. 6). †¢ Why might "sell

Career Goal Essay Example for Free

Career Goal Essay My short term goal – immediately upon completion of the MBA – is to enter the field of FMCG marketing. My aim is to take up a challenging product marketing position with a top global consumer goods company. This role would give me the opportunity to identify target market segments, and devise strategies to tap into them. By working on the design and execution of marketing campaigns, I will be able to combine my newly acquired business skills with my inherent creativity and channel it in a way that helps my organization grow. I have deep interest in gaining extensive learning in the field of marketing. Over a period of a few years I aim to become an expert in end-to-end marketing strategy and execution. This expertise will help me achieve my longer term goal – to set up a niche marketing consultancy for the health foods and nutrition snacks sector. My consultancy will provide a one-stop solution for marketing and promotion activities such as market research, market targeting and segmentation and implementation of marketing programs. My firm will allow me to leverage my love of marketing for bringing healthy food supplements that benefit society as a whole. Through my work in commercial sales, I have gained experience in understanding complex and fragmented market landscapes, identifying market gaps that the business can serve, bridging operational ability with market needs and negotiating with suppliers and customers. I have learned the art of managing customer expectations and building strong customer relationships even under difficult delivery constraints and economic conditions. All of these will be valuable in my marketing career. Additionally, the MBA degree will help me address the gaps that presently exist in my competencies. The MBA program will give me exposure to multi-domain business knowledge from finance to supply chain to human resources to technology. More importantly, it will help me understand the interplay between business functions, and between the business and its competitive environment. This will be instrumental in devising optimal marketing strategies that best serve the organization’s vision. Through the MBA, I will also gain expertise in the use of popular marketing frameworks to identify market needs and gaps, and determine appropriate pricing strategies. Soft skills, such as presentation and communication skills, are also vital to success in marketing. The MBA degree will greatly help me enhance my soft skills. It will also give me the  opportunity to network and build professional relationships with peers and alumni – who themselves are successful business executives. These networks will be instrumental in my career growth as well as in establishing my business venture in the future. The comprehensive set of competencies that the MBA will equip me with makes will give me the perfect platform to reach my career objectives.

The Benefits Of Bim Challenges Information Technology Essay

The Benefits Of Bim Challenges Information Technology Essay On January 21, 2008 the stock markets around the world tumbled. No one has felt the effects of the recession more than here in the United States. Many have compared these events to as the worst economical events since the great drepression. Thousands of companies have had to close doors because of the lapse in the economy. Construction type companies are some of those companies that have struggled emensly during the recession. Construction companies have had to do many things they would normally not do just to keep the doors open. Many cconstruction companies have had to look at inovaitive stratagies just to stay ahead of the competition. Companies such as J.F. Ahern Co., have began to use one strategy that that has cost them both time and money. Innovative stratigies are risky, they dont always work. However in this case the J.F.Ahern Co. has use this stategy to not only improve the product side of there product, but has also used this strategy to help inprove the experience for the customer. J.F.Ahern Co. has introduce the use of building information modeling as a strategy to keep them ahead of the rest. Body The use of BIM (building information modeling) has started to become very popular in the construction industry. It is being utilized by all parties involved in current building projects including architects, engineers, contractors, and even owners. BIM started out as a design tool as preliminary ideas but is now implemented into all the project phases from initial design to final completion. The questions about BIM in todays industry is, are contractors utilizing BIM to its full potential and is it worth the cost of implementing BIM? Its seems that larger contractors will be able to make the transition to BIM more easily than smaller subcontractors or specialty contractors. J.F. Ahern Co. is a mechanical and fire protection contractor that has been using BIM since 2003. What caused J.F. Ahern Co. to start using and continue using BIM during these challenging and tough economic times? They were using BIM before contractors were taking fewer profit margins on projects and prior to the building industry slowing down. J.F. Ahern Co. described the implementation of BIM in their company by saying we will continue to use it because it is the way the industry is going. Embrace it or be passed up by the competition. (Eichers) This shows that the industry is evolving into one that will be dependent on BIM in the near future. As a company if your competitors are utilizing BIM it will cause you to adapt in the same way. This means that small and large contractors will be caused to shift to using BIM practices sooner or later. The case study is to determine how contractors are affected by BIM and the cost to benefit. J.F. Ahern Co. has decided to be a leader in the industry regarding BIM so they can use it as a marketing tool to acquire more work. This would be worth the cost of implementing BIM because they are obtaining more work as a result of its use. They have continued to invest time and money to become knowledgeable and trained in order to better utilize BIM. J.F. Ahern Co. explained that many architectural and engineering firms are using 3-D modeling software like Autodesk Revit to model buildings and systems or equipment. The challenge is using the Revit models and converting them into usable models for design fabrication without having to completely redraw everything. Some contractors are hiring design technicians to work with 3-D model s and make them functional. This requires extra labor and is a cost of BIM that some contractors are willing to pay while others are not. J.F. Ahern Co. has not needed to hire staff for this position but they are keeping up with training due to changing technology and software. Another cost of using BIM technology for a contractor is the equipment needed to run the software. In their case they had to invest in computers capable running multiple 3-D programs at one time, RAM space, video cards and more. In their company not everyone needs to be BIM technology savvy. Only the CAD mangers of each disciplin e are the people directly working on BIM and the 3-D models. It seems the future of BIM is already here in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. In the summer or 2009 Wisconsin became the first state to require architect and engineers to use BIM on large public buildings explained by Jeff Brown in the article Wisconsin Bets on BIM. The Wisconsin Division of State Facilities (DSF) is the authorities who issued the requirements and guidelines on public projects. BIM will be required in all phases of design and up to date models will be provided throughout the construction process. The owner will receive a finished model at project completion. This shows that contractors of all disciplines and size will need to adapt to the changing industry. Companies like J.F. Ahern Co. are already ahead of the curve and seeing the benefits of using BIM. When asked about their company being ahead or behind the curve in the use of BIM they said Just ahead but everyone is catching up. At least everyone that wants to be a player in the industr y. (Eichers) They see that BIM is a vital part in the industry and will soon be a must. Large Contractors like Barton Malow Co. has been one of the leaders in the industry coordinating subs to work with BIM. They have seen some disciplines in the industry adapt to using BIM but others are behind. Alex Ivanikiw of Barton Malow Co. says The steel fabricators are clearly out in front of all other trades. The mechanical and electrical specialty contractors are getting on board, particularly the HVAC and their shop drawing guys. The ones behind the curve are the architectural trades. The concrete, curtain-wall and interiors people are well behind in adopting and implementing BIM stated in the article Subcontractors Take Their Time Adoption Follows Uneven Paths by Tom Sawyer. BIM has been utilized in the most costly part of construction projects. 3-D modeling software can be expensive and using the software can be difficult and timely. J.F. Ahern Co. uses several softwares including Autocad, Bentley Autoplant (industrial piping), Cad Mech (HVAC piping and plumbing), Cad Duct (HVAC Ductwork), Revit, and Navisworks. They use these 3-D modeling tools every day in many aspects. Each project is unique and requires different practices in utilizing BIM. They represent HCAV systems for design, coordination, and fabrication. BIM is a commonly used term in the industry and may refer to different things as contractors will use it for various benefits. J.F. Ahern Co. uses Building Information Modeling as a process of embedding information in the model that will be useful at a later date such as shop drawings, manufacturer data, service manuals and more. Contractors have only begun to use BIM as a project tool. When used effectively contractors can visualize and track other project data such as submittals. With better collaboration and co mmunication among party members in the project change orders and requests for information may be reduced. Another reason why contractors will need to transition into using BIM is the utilization in all construction phases. J. F. Ahern Co. uses BIM in design, pre-construction, coordination, fabrication, and installation. As a mechanical and fire protection contractor J.F Ahern Co. uses BIM for fabrication purposes. Prefabrication is the process of assembling systems and equipment in the shop and transporting them to the site for installation. BIM can be a great tool for prefabricated components in construction. There are many advantages of prefabrication including quality control, less construction waste, reduced labor in the field, and construction time is reduced. All these advantages can drive project costs down and lower the contract price. J.F Ahern Co. does a lot of prefabrication on the plumbing side that issued directly from the fabrication shop from the 3-D coordinated drawings. They do some prefabricated work on the duct side when it is possible to logistically get prefabricated items into the building. Their goal is to greatly increase the amount of prefabrication in the future. Using BIM and 3-D modeling enables J.F. Ahern Co. to make the installation of their systems and equipment go more smoothly. This is one of the aspects where BIM offers a great advantage over contractors who dont have the same technology. BIM offers various advantages throughout a construction project form initial design to final completion. The use of BIM allows J.F Ahern Co. to identify problems much earlier in the project and hopefully get the issues worked out before anything goes to fabrication and causes costs impacts due to changes that have to be made. The use of BIM also allows them to identify areas where architectural changes may have to be made to accommodate the mechanical systems. The earlier these changes can be made the less of a cost impact they have for the owner. J.F Ahern utilizes BIM as a quality control issue to make sure there are no mistakes that drive up costs in the end. This will increase the cost to benefit ratio because it will help keep clients and obtain work in the future. This requires coordination between multiple members on a project to ensure the entire project as a whole is problem free. Dave Morris is director of virtual construction for EMCOR Construction Services and on the Asso ciated General Contractors BIM forum subcommittee. In an article by Tom Sawyer Subcontractors Take Their Time Adoption Follows Uneven Paths, Morris explains that risk and liability to all parties can be eliminated by brining all trades early in the project phases to ensure constructability. Problems exist when underperforming subcontractors dont implement BIM when all other parties on the project do. This is when special coordination and collision problems arise causing delays and inefficiencies in projects. Morris explains that these types of problems have led to a recommendation by the AGCs BIM subcommittee to add protocol to contracts in an appendix or instruction to bidders that anything a subcontractor decides not to model cannot be installed until all modeled components have been. This is a sign that BIM will be mandatory on future projects. Companies like J.F. Ahern Co. are already ahead of the curve using BIM technology and will only benefit more as the industry changes. The y already have the infrastructure in their company and will keep seeing the benefits in the future. BIM can be used as a project management tool among other purposes. The question is how effective is it in a project being completed more smoothly with better coordination and communication among project participants. BIM is intended for everyones use from the general contractor to the smaller subcontractors. With better collaboration on a project there would be a lower number of requests for information and change orders. J.F. Ahern Co. hasnt seen a reduction in change orders or request for information but issues are identified much earlier in the project and reducing cost impacts. They feel in the future when BIM becomes more common in the industry they will see a reduction in change orders and requests for information when implemented as its intended use initial concept and design stages. BIM also offers much improved communication between the owner and project participants. Communication between subcontractors and general contractors is more efficient on BIM utilized projects. J.F Ahern Co. thinks it helps communicate a lot of the information in a much clearer venue. The information was always available but there was never a good way to convey it unless you were dealing with someone that understands the industry and construction. BIM is a great visual representation and easy to understand. It is a great tool to present to owners because they can understand how the construction process will work very easily. This is a great benefit of BIM and makes it worth the costs and time used to implement it. J.F Ahern Co.is maximizing its use for profit. The real question behind BIM is the cost to benefit ratio. J.F Ahern Co. wasnt able to quantify this in a number but the perception is that it does save money. Their process of design and installation gets done sooner, smoother with fewer problems so one would think that cost savings have occurred. They have seen savings in field labor on previous projects with the upfront work done correctly. Other subcontractors and specialty contractors do report savings in regards to BIM. Form the source of Ghafari/Barton Malow subcontractors report BIM savings in these categories: fabrication cost (3%), overall schedule (21%), shop drawing time (14%), installation cost (12%), material cost (11%), field supervision (10%). These are all substantial costs on a project and the argument would be that investing in BIM is worth its costs. Return on Investment Between Project Participants Return on BIM Investment Architects Engineers Contractors Owners Over 100% 5% 4% 10% 11% 50-100% 7% 2% 8% 2% 25-50% 14% 6% 11% 7% 10-25% 19% 11% 27% 34% Less than 10% 13% 22% 17% 16% Break Even 23% 22% 16% 25% Negative 19% 32% 13% 5% Source: ENR: Engineering News Record The above table shows the perceived return on overall BIM investment. The numbers in the table represent the percentage of respondents from the various disciplines of the construction industry. The information in the table was taken from the article Market Study Finds Engineers Get Lowered Return From BIM by Nadine Post. This information shows that contractors and owners benefit the most by using BIM. This is evident with J.F. Ahern Co. that they do save money and generate profits because of BIM. Larger contractors are able to invest more in BIM while medium size and smaller contractors have to make a financial decision based off of the return on investment. According to the market report, The Business Value of BIM issued by ENR showed that nearly 50% of the contractors who responded say BIM utilization increased profits. On another positive note about BIM is that 63% of participants say they see a positive return on BIM investment. Contractors of all disciplines and sizes should inv est in BIM and there are numbers to back it up. Even in the tough economic times contractors are finding ways to gain an advantage over competition. BIM and 3-D modeling is a great way to acquire future work and stay profitable. Its worth the cost to use BIM because even owners see a return on investment. Conclusion Even though the economy and the times have been tough, companies like J.F. Ahern Co. have used innovative strategies to help grow their business. They have seen quantitative benefits to their efforts of introducing strategies such as BIM. The widespread use of programs such as BIM can be seen throughout the construction industry and the results seem to vary. However, companies that are using BIM and using it well seem to be a cut above the rest. Its not easy for companies to begin new and expensive strategies during hard time, but J.F. Ahern Co. have seemed to have made the most of the opportunity. In the end, innovate strategies very well might be the piece of the puzzle that keeps midsized construction companies alive. The economy and construction industry might not see the immediate end to their struggles, however companies that are willing to adapt to new innovate strategies continually place themselves in positions to succeed.

Genetically Modified Foods Cause Autism Essay -- GMOs Essays

Question: Through the use of genetically modified foods, are humans becoming more prone to abnormalities? Introduction I have chosen to do my Life Science research project on genetically modified food as it is a topic that interests me. I have formulated a research question which is â€Å"Through the use of genetically modified foods, are humans becoming more prone to abnormalities?† Genetically engineered organisms (GMO) are becoming so advanced and a large variety of food that we eat has been genetically modified, such as maize, cotton, potatoes, wheat, sugarcane, strawberry, and soya. (Appel, 2008) With the increased advancement of GMO, many people are unaware of the complications that can occur. In my project I will be researching whether or not GMO are an addition to the cause of cancer and autism, but first in order for us to understand the effects of genetically modified organisms, we need to gain an in depth knowledge of the basis of genetics. DNA and Chromosomes Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a â€Å"hereditary material in humans and many other organisms† (Education, 2014). DNA is found in the nucleus of the cell. DNA forms an important part of the chromosome. DNA is a molecule that contains all the genetic information to make up an organism. DNA is a double helix structure made up of deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate and a nitrogenous base, there are four nitrogenous bases, Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and cytosine. Base pairing is specific. DNA carries genetic information in each cell, DNA can also replicate itself, so that the genetic code is passed on to each daughter cell that is formed during mitosis. â€Å"A chromosome is a thread-like structure of nucleic acids and proteins that are formed in living cells† (Anon., 2014).... ...3 Feburary 2014]. University of Nebraska , 2001. Ag Biosafety. [Online] Available at: http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/education/summary.htm [Accessed 16 March 2014]. University of Nebraska, 2005. Ag Biosafety. [Online] Available at: http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/basic_genetics.shtml [Accessed 03 Feburary 2014]. Unknown, 2011. Siyabonga Africa. [Online] Available at: http://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-2-6-genetically-modified-foods-19358.html [Accessed 01 May 2014]. Walia, A., 2013. Collective Evolution. [Online] Available at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/05/10/new-study-links-monsantos-roundup-to-autism-parkinsons-and-alzheimers/ [Accessed 20 February 2014]. Wang, P., 2013. Autism Speaks. [Online] Available at: http://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2013/10/11/are-children-born-autism-or-does-it-develop-later [Accessed 05 May 2014].

Agriculture Sector Essay

All the tribes living in this hill district are mainly depending on agriculture. The primitive system of Jhuming cultivation are common among all the tribes. The practice of Jhuming not only destroy the micro flora and fauna but also affect ecological balance by destroying forest. So, an attempt has been made through this scheme to replace Jhum by permanent cultivation, terrace cultivation. Moreover the Soil of this hilly region is very suitable summer as well as winter paddy. Horticulture is the main occupation in the district of N. C. Hills farmers. The altitude varies from 800meters to 1200 meters and average rainfall around 2300 mm and temperatures varies from 6 to 12 degree C in winter and 17 -33 degree C in summer. Out of total geographical area of 4888 sq. km. around 1. 88 lakh hectares is suitable for cultivation and 80% of the cultivable land is suitable for horticultural crops. Potential for horticultural development is very bright along with canning and processing industry as this district produces huge quantity of quality pineapple, oranges and ginger through purely organic method as use of agrochemicals is virtually non-existent. However, all the tribes of this hilly district are mainly dependant on destructive slash and burn method of cultivation or Jhuming and in the process forest cover has been largely denuded and ecosystem has been damaged. According to topography, rainfall and other geographical factors the district has been divided into three parts, consisting of the development blocks, 1st Part— Diyungbra ITDP and Diyung valley Block. This particular area comprises mainly of foothill and plains is suitable for field crops such as Sugarcane, Maize, Oil seeds, paddy, pulses and tropical horticultural crops like coconut, areca nut, cashew nut, mango, mousambi, litchi etc. 2nd Part—Sangbar development block has both low altitude and high altitude areas and crops suitable are both tropical and sub tropical crops. Main cultivated crops are sugarcane, Ginger, Turmeric, Pineapple and oranges. 3rd Part —comprises mainly of Jatinga valley block and Harangajao ITDP. Major crops grown are Paddy, Oranges, Ginger, Turmeric, Girenium etc.

Lexicology

HANDBOOK OF WORD-FORMATION Studies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory VOLUME 64 Managing Editors Marcel den Dikken, City University of New York Liliane Haegeman, University of Lille Joan Maling, Brandeis University Editorial Board Guglielmo Cinque, University of Venice Carol Georgopoulos, University of Utah Jane Grimshaw, Rutgers University Michael Kenstowicz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Hilda Koopman, University of California, Los Angeles Howard Lasnik, University of Maryland Alec Marantz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology John J.McCarthy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Ian Roberts, University of Cambridge The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume. HANDBOOK OF WORD-FORMATION Edited by PAVOL STEKAUER Pre o University, Pre ov, Slovakia ov e and ROCHELLE LIEBER University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, U. S. A. A C. I. P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN-10 ISBN-13 ISBN-10 ISBN-10 ISB N-13 ISBN-13 1-4020-3597-7 (PB) 978-1-4020-3597-5 (PB) 1-4020-3595-0 (HB) 1-4020-3596-9 (e-book) 978-1-4020-3595-1 (HB) 978-1-4020-3596-8 (e-book) Published by Springer, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. www. springeronline. com Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved  © 2005 Springer No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed in the Netherlands. CONTENTS PREFACE CONTRIBUTORS vii 1 ANDREW CARSTAIRS-MCCARTHY: BASIC TERMINOLOGY 1. The notion of the linguistic sign 1. 1 EVIDENCE FOR THE MORPHEME-AS-SIGN POSITION IN SAUSSURE’S COURS 1. 2 EVIDENCE FOR THE WORD-AS-SIGN POSITION IN SAUSSUREà ¢â‚¬â„¢S COURS Morpheme and word 2. 1 CASE STUDY: ENGLISH NOUN PLURAL FORMS (PART 1) 2. 2 CASE STUDY: THE PERFECT PARTICIPLE FORMS OF ENGLISH VERBS 2. 3 CASE STUDY: ENGLISH NOUN PLURAL FORMS (PART 2) 2. 4 COMPLEMENTARY DISTRIBUTION AND INFLECTION VERSUS DERIVATION ‘Morphemes’ since the 1960s 5 5 7 8 10 11 14 17 18 20 25 25 2. 3. ELLEN M. KAISSE: WORD-FORMATION AND PHONOLOGY 1. Introduction vi 2.CONTENTS Effects of lexical category, morphological structure, and affix type on phonology 2. 1 EFFECTS OF LEXICAL CATEGORY AND OF MORPHOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2. 2 COHERING AND NON-COHERING AFFIXES Morphology limited by the phonological form of the base of affixation Lexical phonology and morphology and its ills More recent developments of lexical phonology and morphology How do related words affect each other? The cycle, transderivational t effects, paradigm uniformity and the like Do the cohering affixes f rm a coherent set? Split bases, SUBCATWORD fo and phonetics in morphology C onclusion 26 26 28 32 34 38 39 41 45 . 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. GREGORY STUMP: WORD-FORMATION AND INFLECTIONAL MORPHOLOGY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The conceptual difference between inflection and word-formation The inflectional categories of English Practical criteria for distinguishing inflection from word-formation Practical criteria for distinguishing inflectional periphrases Some similarities between inflection and word-formation Complex interactions between inflection and word-formation Inflectional paradigms and word-formation paradigms 7. 1 PARADIGMS AND HEAD MARKING IN INFLECTION AND DERIVATION 7. 2 PARADIGMS AND BLOCKING IN INFLECTION AND DERIVATION 9 49 50 53 59 60 61 65 65 67 CONTENTS ANDREW SPENCER: WORD-FORMATION AND SYNTAX 1. 2. Introduction Lexical relatedness and syntax 2. 1 MORPHOTACTICS IN CLASSICAL US STRUCTURALISM 2. 2 MORPHOLOGY AS SYNTAX 2. 3 LEXICAL INTEGRITY Syntactic phenomena inside words Argument structure realization 4. 1 DEVERBAL MORPHOLOGY 4. 1. 1 Action nominals 4. 1. 2 Nominals denoting grammatical functions 4. 1. 3 -able adjectives 4. 2 SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDS AND NOUN INCORPORATION Theoretical approaches to word formation Summary and afterword vii 73 73 74 74 74 78 82 83 83 83 87 88 88 89 93 99 3. 4. 5. 6.DIETER KASTOVSKY: HANS MARCHAND AND THE MARCHANDEANS 1. 2. Introduction Hans Marchand 2. 1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2. 2 SYNCHRONIC APPROACH 2. 3 MOTIVATION 2. 4 MORPHONOLOGICAL ALTERNATIONS 2. 5 THE CONCEPT OF SYNTAGMA 2. 6 GENERATIVE-TRANSFORMATIONAL INFLUENCE 2. 7 ANALYSIS OF COMPOUNDS 2. 8 PRECURSOR OF LEXICALIST HYPOTHESIS 99 100 100 100 101 102 102 104 105 106 3. Klaus Hansen 107 3. 1 GENERAL 107 3. 2 WORD-FORMEDNESS VS. WORD-FORMATION 107 3. 3 WORD-FORMATION PATTERN VS. WORD-FORMATION TYPE108 3. 4 ONOMASIOLOGICAL APPROACH VS. SEMASIOLOGICAL APPROACH 109 viii 4. CONTENTS Herbert Ernst Brekle 4. GENERAL 4. 2 FRAMEWORK 4. 3 BREKLE’S MODEL 4. 4 PRODUCTION AND INTERPRETATION OF COMPOUNDS Leonhard Lipka 5. 1 GENERAL 5. 2 THEORETICAL DEVEL OPMENT Dieter Kastovsky 6. 1 GENERAL 6. 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 6. 3 WORD-FORMATION AT THE CROSSROADS OF MORPHOLOGY, SYNTAX, SEMANTICS, PRAGMATICS AND THE LEXICON Gabriele Stein (Lady Quirk) Conclusion 109 109 110 110 112 112 112 113 114 114 115 116 116 118 125 125 126 127 128 130 132 133 133 134 136 138 141 142 143 143 5. 6. 7. 8. TOM ROEPER: CHOMSKY’S REMARKS AND THE TRANSFORMATIONALIST HYPOTHESIS 1. Nominalizations and Core Grammar 1. CORE CONTRAST 1. 2 TRANSFORMATIONS The Subject Enigma 2. 1 PASSIVE -ABILITY NOMINALIZATIONS 2. 2 -ING NOMINALIZATIONS Case Assignment 3. 1 COPING WITH EXCEPTIONS 3. 2 THEMATIC-BINDING Intriguing Issues: Aspectual Differentiation of Nominalization Affixes Where do Affixes Attach? Elaborated Phrase Structure and Nominalizations 6. 1 BARE NOMINALS: PREDICTABLE RESTRICTIONS 6. 2 HIGH -ING 6. 3 ACCUSATIVE AND -ING NOMINALIZATIONS 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. CONTENTS 7. Conclusion ix 144 SERGIO SCALISE AND EMILIANO GUEVARA: THE LEXICALIST APPROACH TO WORD-FORM ATION AND THE NOTION OF 147 THE LEXICON 1. . 3. 4. A definition A Brief History 2. 1 LEES (1960) The Lexicon Lexicalism 4. 1 HALLE (1973) 4. 2 ARONOFF (1976) 4. 2. 1The Word-based Hypothesis 4. 2. 2 Word-Formation Rules 4. 2. 3 Productivity 4. 2. 4 Restrictions on WFRs 4. 2. 5 Stratal features 4. 2. 6 Restrictions on the output of WFRs 4. 2. 7 Conditions 4. 2. 8 Summary on Word-Formation Rules Some Major Issues 5. 1 STRONG AND WEAK LEXICALISM More on the Notion of Lexicon Lexicalism Today 7. 1 INFLECTIONAL MORPHOLOGY 7. 2 SYNTACTIC MORPHOLOGY 7. 3 THE SYNTACTIC INCORPORATION HYPOTHESIS 7. 4 WORD-FORMATION AS SYNTAX 7. DISTRIBUTED MORPHOLOGY Conclusion 147 148 150 151 153 153 157 157 158 159 159 161 162 162 166 166 170 171 173 174 176 176 178 180 181 189 5. 6. 7. 8. ROBERT BEARD AND MARK VOLPE: LEXEME -MORPHEME BASE MORPHOLOGY 1. Introduction 189 x 2. CONTENTS The Three Basic Hypotheses of LMBM 2. 1 THE SEPARATION HYPOTHESIS 2. 2 THE UNITARY GRAMMATICAL FUNCTION HYPOTHESIS 2. 3 THE B ASE RULE HYPOTHESIS Types of Lexical (L-) Derivation 3. 1 COMPETENCE: GRAMMATICAL L-DERIVATION 3. 1. 1 Feature Value Switches 3. 1. 2 Functional Lexical-Derivation 3. 1. 3 Transposition 3. 1. Expressive Derivations Conclusion 189 190 191 192 194 194 194 195 198 199 200 201 207 207 208 209 209 211 211 212 214 217 219 221 225 226 226 227 229 3. 4. Appendix PAVOL STEKAUER: ONOMASIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO WORD-FORMATION 1. 2. 3. Introduction Methods of Onomasiological Research Theoretical approaches 3. 1 MILOS DOKULIL 3. 2 JAN HORECKY 3. 3 PAVOL STEKAUER 3. 3. 1 Word-formation as an independent component 3. 3. 2 The act of naming 3. 3. 3 Onomasiological Types 3. 3. 4 Conceptual (onomasiological) recategorization 3. 3. 5 An Onomasiological Approach to Productivity 3. . 6 Headedness 3. 3. 7 Summary 3. 4 BOGDAN SZYMANEK 3. 5 ANDREAS BLANK 3. 6 PETER KOCH DAVID TUGGY: COGNITIVE APPROACH TO WORD-FORMATION 233 1. Basic notions of Cognitive grammar (CG) 1. 1 THE GRAMMAR OF A LANGUAGE UNDER CG 1. 2 LEXICON AND SYNTAX 233 233 235 CONTENTS 2. Schemas and prototypes 2. 1 SCHEMAS AND ELABORATIONS 2. 2 PARTIAL SCHEMATICITY AND THE GROWTH OF SCHEMATIC NETWORKS 2. 3 PROTOTYPICALITY AND SALIENCE 2. 4 ACCESS TO THE STORE OF CONVENTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, INCLUDING NEIGHBORING STRUCTURES 2. 5 SANCTION Schemas for word formation 3. 1 SCHEMAS FOR WORDS 3. SCHEMAS FOR CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE WORD PIECES: STEMS AND AFFIXES AND CONSTRUCTIONAL SCHEMAS M 3. 3 COMPLEX SEMANTIC AND PHONOLOGICAL POLES 3. 4 SCHEMAS FOR COMPOUNDS 3. 5 STRUCTURAL DESCRIPTIONS, CREATIVITY AND PRODUCTIVE USAGE 3. 6 SANCTION (OF VARIOUS KINDS) FROM COMPONENTS 3. 7 COMPONENTS AND PATTERNS FOR THE WHOLE; OVERLAPPING PATTERNS AND MULTIPLE ANALYSES R A 3. 8 CONSTITUENCY Overview of other issues 4. 1 VALENCE 4. 2 THE MORPHOLOGY-SYNTAX BOUNDARY 4. 3 INFLECTION VS. DERIVATION What’s special about English word formation? Conclusion: Implications of accounting for morphology by schemas i 235 235 236 238 238 239 240 240 244 246 24 8 251 254 256 257 258 258 259 260 261 262 267 267 268 268 268 270 271 272 274 274 276 3. 4. 5. 6. WOLFGANG U. DRESSLER: WORD-FORMATION IN NATURAL MORPHOLOGY 1. 2. Introduction Universal, system-independent morphological naturalness 2. 1 PREFERENCES 2. 2 PREFERENCE FOR ICONICITY 2. 3 INDEXICALITY PREFERENCES 2. 4 PREFERENCE FOR MORPHOSEMANTIC TRANSPARENCY 2. 5 PREFERENCE FOR MORPHOTACTIC TRANSPARENCY 2. 6 PREFERENCE FOR BIUNIQUENESS 2. 7 FIGURE-GROUND PREFERENCES 2. 8 PREFERENCE FOR BINARITY xii CONTENTS 2. 9 OPTIMAL SHAPE OF UNITS 2. 0 ALTERNATIVE NATURALNESS PARAMETERS 2. 11 PREDICTIONS AND CONFLICTS 276 276 277 278 279 279 280 281 285 285 285 286 287 287 290 294 298 298 301 303 304 307 311 315 315 316 317 3. 4. Typological adequacy System-dependent naturalness 4. 1 SYSTEM-ADEQUACY 4. 2 DYNAMIC VS. STATIC MORPHOLOGY 4. 3 UNIVERSAL VS. TYPOLOGICAL VS. SYSTEM-DEPENDENT NATURALNESS PETER ACKEMA AND AD NEELEMAN: WORD-FORMATION IN OPTIMALITY THEORY 1. Introduction 1. 1 OPTIMALITY THEORY 1. 2 COMPETITION IN MORPHOLOGY Competition between different morphemes 2. 1 THE BASIC CASE 2. 2 HAPLOLOGY 2. MARKEDNESS Competition between components 3. 1 ELSEWHERE CASES 3. 2 COMPETITION BETWEEN MODULES THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE ELSEWHERE PRINCIPLE Competition between different morpheme orders 4. 1 CONFLICTS BETWEEN LINEAR CORRESPONDENCE AND TEMPLATIC REQUIREMENTS 4. 2 CONFLICTS BETWEEN LINEAR CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE CONSTRAINTS Conclusion 2. 3. 4. 5. LAURIE BAUER: PRODUCTIVITY: THEORIES 1. 2. 3. Introduction Pre-generative theories of productivity Schultink (1961) CONTENTS 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Zimmer (1964) Aronoff Natural Morphology Kiparsky (1982) Van Marle (1985) Corbin (1987) iii 318 318 321 322 323 324 324 326 327 328 330 332 335 335 335 335 336 336 339 340 340 340 341 344 345 347 348 349 349 10. Baayen 11. Plag (1999) 12. Hay (2000) 13. Bauer (2001) 14. Some threads 15. Conclusion FRANZ RAINER: CONSTRAINTS ON PRODUCTIVITY 1. 2. Introduction Universal constrain ts 2. 1 CONSTRAINTS SUPPOSEDLY LOCATED AT UG 2. 2 PROCESSING CONSTRAINTS 2. 2. 1 Blocking 2. 2. 2 Complexity Based Ordering 2. 2. 3 Productivity, frequency and length of bases Language-specific constraints 3. 1 LEVEL ORDERING 3. 2 AFFIX-SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS 3. 2. 1 Phonology 3. 2. 2 Morphology 3. 2. 3 Syntax 3. 2. 4 Argument structure 3. 2. Semantics 3. 2. 6 Pragmatics and Sociolinguistics 3. xiv 4. Final remarks PREFACE 349 PETER HOHENHAUS: LEXICALIZATION AND I INSTITUTIONALIZATION TITUTIONALIZATION 1. 2. Introduction Lexicalization 2. 1 LEXICALIZATION IN A DIACHRONIC SENSE 2. 2 LEXICALIZATION IN A SYNCHRONIC SENSE: LISTING/LISTEDNESS 2. 3 THE LEXICON AND THEORIES OF WORD-FORMATION Institutionalization 3. 1 TERMINOLOGY 3. 2 IDEAL AND REAL SPEAKERS AND THE SPEECH COMMUNITY 3. 3 DE-INSTITUTIONALIZATION: THE END OF A WORD’S LIFE Problems 4. 1 NONCE-FORMATIONS AND NEOLOGISMS 4. 2 (NON-)LEXICALIZABILITY 4. 3 WHAT IS IN THE (MENTAL) LEXICON AND HOW DOES IT GET THERE? . 4 UNPREDIC TABLE & PLAYFUL FORMATIONS, ANALOGY, FADS, AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS 4. 5 LEXICALIZATION BEYOND WORDS 353 353 353 353 356 357 359 359 360 362 363 363 365 367 369 370 375 375 375 376 378 379 379 383 390 391 393 400 402 3. 4. ROCHELLE LIEBER: ENGLISH WORD-FORMATION PROCESSES 1. 2. Introduction Compounding 2. 1 DETERMINING WHAT COUNTS AS A COMPOUND 2. 2 ROOT COMPOUNDING 2. 3 SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDING 2. 4 STRUCTURE AND INTERPRETATION Derivation 3. 1 PREFIXATION 3. 1. 1 Negative prefixes (un-, in-, non-, de-, dis-) 3. 1. 2 Locational prefixes 3. 1. 3 Temporal and aspectual prefixes 3. 1. Quantitative prefixes 3. CONTENTS 3. 1. 5 Verbal prefixes 3. 2 SUFFIXATION 3. 2. 1 Personal nouns 3. 2. 2 Abstract nouns 3. 2. 3 Verb-forming suffixes 3. 2. 4 Adjective-forming suffixes 3. 2. 5 Collectives 3. 3 CONCLUSION 4. 5. Conversion Conclusion xv 402 403 403 406 410 413 417 418 418 422 429 429 430 431 BOGDAN SZYMANEK: THE LATEST TRENDS IN ENGLISH WORD-FORMATION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Introduction Deriv ational neologisms Analogical formations, local analogies Changes in the relative significance of types of word-formation processes 431 Secretion of new affixes ‘Lexicalisation’ of affixes 435 436Changes in the productivity, relative productivity and scope of individual 436 affixes Semantics: changes in formative functions 438 Trends in the form of complex words 441 9. 1 CHOICE OF RIVAL AFFIXES – MORPHOLOGICAL DOUBLETS 441 9. 2 PHONOLOGICAL FORM – STRESS 443 449 459 465 SUBJECT INDEX NAME INDEX LANGUAGE INDEX PREFACE Following years of complete or partial neglect of issues concerning word formation (by which we mean primarily derivation, compounding, and conversion), the year 1960 marked a revival – some might even say a resurrection – of this important field of linguistic study.While written in completely different theoretical frameworks (structuralist vs. transformationalist), from completely different perspectives, and with different objec tives, both Marchand’s Categories and Types of Present-Day English Word-Formation in Europe and Lees’ Grammar of English Nominalizations instigated systematic research in the field. As a result, a large number of seminal works emerged over the next decades, making the scope of wordt formation research broader and deeper, thus contributing to better understanding of this exciting area of human language.Parts of this development have been captured in texts or ‘review’ books (e. g. P. H. Matthews’ Morphology: An Introduction to the Theory of Word-Structure (1974), Andrew Spencer’s Morphological Theory: An Introduction to Word Structure in Generative Grammar (1991), Francis Katamba’s Morphology (1993), r Spencer and Zwicky’s Handbook of Morphology (1998)), but these books tend to discuss both inflectional and derivational morphology, and to do so mostly from the generative point of view.What seemed lacking to us was a volume intende d for advanced students and other researchers in linguistics which would trace the many strands of study – both generative and non-generative – that have developed from Marchand’s and Lees’ seminal works, on both sides of the Atlantic. The ambitions of this Handbook of Word-formation are four-fold: 1. To map the state of the art in the field of word-formation. 2. To avoid a biased approach to word-formation by presenting different, mutually complementary, frameworks within which research into wordformation has taken place. vii xviii 3. 4. PREFACE To present the specific topics from the perspective of experts who have significantly contributed to the respective topics discussed. To look specifically at individual English word formation processes and review some of the developments that have taken place since Marchand’s comprehensive treatment forty five years ago. Thus, the Handbook provides the reader with the state of the art in the study of k wor d formation (with a special view to English word formation) at the eginning of the third millennium. The Handbook is intended to give the reader a clear idea of the k large number of issues examined within word-formation, the different methods and approaches used, and an ever-growing number of tasks to be disposed of in future research. At the same time, it gives evidence of the great theoretical achievements and the vitality of this field that has become a full-fledged linguistic discipline. We wish to express our gratitude to all the contributors to the Handbook. The editors CONTRIBUTORSPeter Ackema is lecturer in linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. He has worked extensively on issues regarding the morphology-syntax interface, on which he has published two books, Issues in Morphosyntax (Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 1999), and Beyond Morphology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, co-authored with Ad Neeleman). He has also published on a wide range of syntaxinternal and mo rphology-internal topics. Laurie Bauer holds a personal chair in Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.He has published widely on international varieties of English, especially New Zealand English, and on aspects of morphology, including English Word-formation (Cambridge University Press, 1983), Morphological Productivity (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Introducing Linguistic Morphology (Edinburgh University Press, 2nd edn, 2003), A Glossary of Morphology (Edinburgh University Press, 2004). Robert Beard received his PhD in Slavic linguistics from the University of Michigan and taught for 35 years at Bucknell University.In 2000 he retired as the Ruth Everett Sierzega Professor of Linguistics at Bucknell to found the web-based company of language products and services, yourDictionary. com, where he is currently CEO. He is the author of The Indo-European Lexicon (Amsterdam: NorthHolland, 1981) and Lexeme-Morpheme Base Morphology (New York: SUNY Press, 1995). Andrew Carstairs-McCarthy is Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He is the author of Allomorphy in Inflexion (London: Croom Helm, 1987), Current Morphology (London and New York: Routledge, 1992) and An Introduction to English Morphology (Edinburgh:Edinburgh University Press, 2002). He is also interested in language evolution, and has published The Origins of Complex Language: An Inquiry into the Evolutionary Beginnings of Sentences, Syllables and Truth (Oxford: OUP, 1999). 1 2 CONTRIBUTORS Wolfgang Dressler is Professor of linguistics, Head of the Department of r Linguisics at the University of Vienna and of the Commission for Linguistics of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He is the author of Morphonology (Ann Arbor: Karoma Press, 1985) and Morphopragmatics (with Lavinia Merlini Barbaresi) (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1994).Emiliano Guevara is lecturer of General Linguistics at the University of Bologna and is member of the Mor- Bo reserach group at the Department of Foreign languages in Bologna. His publications include â€Å"V-Compounding in Dutch and Italian† (Cuadernos de Linguistica, Instituto Universitario Ortega y Gasset, 1-21 (with S. Scalise) and â€Å"Selection in compounding and derivation† (to appear) (with S. m Scalise and A. Bisetto). Peter Hohenhaus is lecturer in modern linguistics at the University of Nottingham (UK).He received his PhD in English Linguistics from the University of Hamburg and has published on standardization and purism, humorology, computer-mediated communication as well as English and German word-formation, in particular nonce word-formation, including the volume Ad-hoc-Wortbildung – Terminologie, Typologie und Theorie kreativer Wortbildung im Englischen (Frankfurt, Bern etc. : Lang, 1996). Ellen M. Kaisse is Professor of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle. Her main fields of research include morphology-phonology and syntaxphonology interf aces, intonation, historical phonology, and Spanish phonology.She is an author of Connected speech: the interaction of syntax and phonology (Orlando: t Academic Press, 1985), Studies in Lexical Phonology (ed. with S. Hargus, Orlando: y Academic Press, 1993), â€Å"Palatal vowels, glides, and consonants in Argentinian Spanish† (with J. Harris) (Phonology 16, 1999, 117-190), â€Å"The long fall: an intonational melody of Argentinian Spanish† (In: Features and interfaces in Romance, ed. by Herschensohn, Mallen and Zagona, 2001, 147-160), and â€Å"Sympathy meets Argentinian Spanish† (In: The nature of the word: essays in honor of Paul Kiparsky, ed. by K. Hanson and S. Inkelas, MIT Press, in press).Dieter Kastovsky is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Vienna and Director of the Center for Translation Studies. His main fields of interest include English morphology and word-formation (synchronic and diachronic), semantics, history of linguistics, a nd language typology. He is the author of Old English Deverbal Substantives Derived by Means of a Zero Morpheme (Esslingen/N. : Langer, 1968), Wortbildung und Semantik (Tubingen/Dusseldorf: k Francke/Bagel, 1982), and more than 80 articles on English morphology and wordformation (synchronic and diachronic), semantics, history of linguistics, and language typology.Rochelle Lieber is Professor of English at the University of New Hampshire. Her publications include: Morphology and Lexical Semantics HANDBOOK OF WORD-FORMATION 3 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2004), Deconstructing Morphology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1992), and An Integrated Theory of Autosegmental Processes (New York: SUNY Press 1987), as well as numerous articles on various aspects of word formation and the interfaces between morphology and syntax, and morphology and phonology. Ad Neeleman is Reader in Linguistics at University College London.His main research interests are case theory, the syntacti c encoding of thematic dependencies, and the interaction between syntax and syntax-external systems. His main publications include Complex Predicates (1993), Flexible Syntax (1999, with Fred Weerman), Beyond Morphology (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2004, with Peter Ackema), as well as articles in Linguistic Inquiry, Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, and Yearbook of Morphology. Franz Rainer is Professor of Romance languages at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.He is the author of Spanische Wortbildungslehre (Tubingen: Niemeyer, 1993) and co-editor (with Maria Grossmann) of La formazione delle parole in italiano (Tubingen: Niemeyer, 2004), both of these publications being comprehensive treatments of the word-formation in the respective languages. Tom Roeper, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts, has written widely on morphology and language acquisiton, including compounds, nominalizations, implicit arguments, and derivationi al morphology.In the field of language aquisition, he is also Managing Editor of Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistics (Kluwer), a Founding editor of Language Acquisition (Erlbaum), and also the author of Understanding and Producing Speech (London: Fontana, g 1983, co-authored with Ed Matthei), Parameter Setting (Dordrecht: Reidel, 1987, with E. Williams), Theoretical Issues in Language Acquisition (Hillsdale: Erlbaum, 1992, with H. Goodluck and J. Weissenborn), and the forthcoming The Prism of Grammar (MIT Press). Sergio Scalise is Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Bologna. He is the editor of the journal Lingue e Linguaggio.His pulications include Generative Morphology (Dordrecht: Foris, 1984), Morfologia (Bologna: Il Mulino, 1994), and Le lingue e il Linguaggio (Bologna: Il Mulino, 2001 (with Giorgio Graffi)). Andrew Spencer is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Language and Linguistics at the University of Essex. He has worked on various problem s of phonological and morphological theory. In addition to English, his major language area is Slavic. He is the author of Morphological Theory (Oxford: Blackwells, 1991) and co-editor (with Arnold Zwicky) of the Handbook of Morphology (Oxford: Blackwells, 1998). CONTRIBUTORS Pavol Stekauer is Professor of English linguistics in the Department of British and American Studies, Presov University, Slovakia. His research has focused on an onomasiological approach to word-formation and on the history of research into word-formation. He is the author of A Theory of Conversion in English (Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1996), An Onomasiological Theory of English Word-Formation (Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1998)), and English Word-Formation. A History of Research (1960-1995).Tubingen: Gunter Narr, 2000), and the forthcoming Meaning Predictability in Word-Formation (Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins) Gregory T. Stump is Professor of English and Linguistics at the University of Kentucky. His research has focused on the development of Paradigm Function Morphology. He is the author of The Semantic Variability of Absolute Constructions (Dordrecht: Reidel, 1985), Inflectional Morphology: A Theory of Paradigm Structure (Cambridge: CUP, 2001). He is currently serving as an Associate Editor of Language and as a Consulting Editor for Yearbook of Morphology.Bogdan Szymanek is Professor of English linguistics, Head of the Department of Modern English, Catholic University of Lublin, Poland. His major research interests include morphology and its interfaces with other grammatical components, lexicology, English and Slavic languages. He is the author of Categories and categorization in morphology (RW KUL Lublin, 1988) and d Introduction to morphological analysis (PWN Warsaw, 1998 (3rd ed. )). David Tuggy has worked in Mexico with the Summer Institute of Linguistics since 1970.His main areas of interest include Nahuatl, Cognitive f grammar, translation, lexicography, and inadvertent blends and other bloopers. He is an author of The transitivity-related morphology of Tetelcingo Nahuatl; An exploration in Space grammar (UCSD Doctoral dissertation, 1981), â€Å"The affix-stem r distinction; A Cognitive grammar analysis of data from Orizaba Nahuatl† (Cognitive Linguistics 3/3, 237-300), â€Å"The thing is is that people talk that way. The question is is why? † (In: E. Casad (ed. ). 1995.Cognitive linguistics in the redwoods; the expansion of a new paradigm in linguistics. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 713-752. ), and â€Å" â€Å"Abrelatas and scarecrow nouns: Exocentric verb-noun compounds as illustrations of basic principles of Cognitive grammar† ( (International Journal of English Studies (2004) III, 25-61). Mark Volpe is a Ph. D candidate at SUNY at Stony Brook expecting to defend his dissertation on Japanese morphology in early spring 2005. He is currently a visiting lecturer in the Department of Humanities at Mie National U niversity in Tsu, Japan.He has published independently in Lingua and Snippets and has coauthored with Paolo Acquaviva, Mark Aronoff and Robert Beard. BASIC TERMINOLOGY ANDREW CARSTAIRS-MCCARTHY 1. THE NOTION OF THE LINGUISTIC SIGN In this introductory chapter I will discuss the notions ‘morpheme’ and ‘sign’ in relation to word-formation. The starting-point will be Ferdinand de Saussure’s notion ‘sign’ (signe) (Saussure 1973), which since the early twentieth century has influenced enormously how linguists have analysed words and parts of words as grammatical units.There will be no tidy conclusion, partly because Saussure himself was vague on crucial points, and partly because among contemporary linguistic theorists there is little agreement about even the most fundamental aspects of how word-formation should be analysed and what terminology should be used in describing it. But I hope that this chapter will alert readers to some of the mai n risks of misunderstanding that they are sure to encounter later. 1 A handbook of English syntax in the twenty-first century would not be likely to begin with a discussion of Saussure. Why then does it make sense for a handbook on word-formation to do so?There are two reasons. The first is that syntax is centrally concerned not with individual signs in Saussure’s sense but with combinations of signs. That makes it sound as if word-formation, by contrast, is concerned not with combinations of signs but only with individual signs. As to whether that implication is attractive or not, readers can in due course form their own opinions. For the present, it is enough to say that, in the opinion of most but not all linguists, the way in which meaningful elements are combined in syntax is different from how they are combined in complex words.The second reason has to do with Saussure’s distinction between language as social convention (langue) and language as ( utterance (parol e). Each language as langue belongs to a community of speakers and, because it is a social convention, individuals have no control over it. On the other hand, language as parole is something that individual speakers have control over; it consists of the use that individuals freely make of their langue in the sentences and phrases that they utter.Hence, because syntax is concerned with the structure of sentences and phrases, Saussure seems to have considered the study of syntax as belonging to the study of parole, not langue (the exception being those sentences or phrases that are idioms or cliches and which therefore belong to langue because they are conventional rather than freely constructed). So, because his focus was on langue rather than parole, Saussure had little to say about syntax. 1 I will use ‘Saussure’ in this chapter as shorthand for ‘Saussure’s view as presented in the Cours de linguistique generale’.The Cours is a posthumous compilatio n based on notes of various series of lectures that Saussure delivered over a number of years. Apparent inconsistencies in the Cours may be due to developments in Saussure’s thinking over time or faulty note-taking on the part of the compilers or both. Nevertheless, it is the Cours as a whole that has influenced subsequent linguists, and on that basis it is fair to discuss it as if it were created by one author as a single coherent work. 5 Stekauer P. and R. Lieber (eds. ), Handbook of Word-Formation, 5—23. 2005 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands. 6 ANDREW CARSTAIRS-MCCARTHY Saussure introduced his notion ‘sign’ with a famous example: a diagram consisting of an ellipse, the upper half containing a picture of a tree and the lower half containing the Latin word arbor ‘tree’ (Saussure Cours, part 1, chapter 1; 99; r 67). 2 The upper half of the diagram is meant to represent a concept, or what the sign signifies (its signifie), while the lower h alf represents the unit of expression in Latin that signifies it (the signifiant).As Saussure acknowledges, the term ‘sign’ in its normal usage seems closer to the signifiant than the signifie, and at first one is t inclined to ask what the point is in distinguishing the signifiant from the sign as a t whole. Saussure’s answer lies largely in his view of how signs are related to each other. Signs (he says) do not function in isolation but rather have a ‘value’ (valeur) as part of a system (part 2, chapter 4; 155-69; 110-20). Concepts (signifies) do not exist in the world indepently of language but only as components of the signs to which they belong.By this Saussure does not mean that (for example) trees have no real existence apart from language, but rather that the term for the concept ‘tree’ will differ in valeur from one language to another depending on whether or not that r language has, for example, contrasting terms for the concep t ‘bush’ (a small tree) or the concept ‘timber’ (wood from trees for use in building or furniture-making). 3 Each signifie has a wider or narrower scope, according to how few or how many are the related signs that its sign contrasts with.And with signifiants, too, what matters most is not the sounds or letters that compose them but their role in distinguishing one sign from another. Thus the Attic Greek verb forms ephe:n ‘I was saying’ and este:n ‘I stood’ both have the same structure (a prefix e-, a root, and a suffix -n), but their valeur within their respective verbal paradigms is different: ephe:n is an r ‘imperfect’ tense form while este:n is ‘aorist’. So far, so good, perhaps.The Latin word arbor and the English word tree are r simple words, not analysable into smaller meaningful parts, and each is in Saussure’s terms a sign. But consider the word unhelpfulness, which seems clearly to consist of four elements, un-, help, -ful and -ness, each of which contributes in a l transparent way to the meaning of the whole. Consider also the words Londoner, Muscovite, Parisian, Roman, and Viennese, all meaning ‘inhabitant of †¦ ’, and all consisting of a stem followed by a suffix. What things count as signs here: the whole words, or the elements composing them, or both?It is at this point that Saussure’s exposition becomes frustratingly unclear, as I will demonstrate presently. Let us call these elements ‘morphemes’. This is consistent with the usage of Baudouin de Courtenay, the inventor of the term, who speaks of ‘the unification of the concepts of root, affix, prefix, ending, and the like under the common term, morpheme’ (Baudouin de Courtenay 1972: 151) and defines it as ‘that part of a word which is endowed with psychological autonomy and is for the very same reason not 2Because readers are likely to have access to Sauss ure’s Cours in various different editions and translations, I will give first a reference to the relevant part and chapter, then a page reference to the 1973 edition by Tullio de Mauro, and finally a page reference to the 1983 translation by Roy Harris. I quote passages from the Cours in the translation by Harris. I use Saussure’s original technical terms langue, parole, signifiant and signifie, for which no consistent English equivalents have become t established. 3 This illustration is mine, not Saussure’s, but is in the spirit ofSaussure’s discussion of how two English words sheep and mutton correspond to one French word mouton. BASIC TERMINOLOGY 7 further divisible’ (1972: 153). It is also consistent with rough-and-ready definitions of the kind offered in introductory linguistics courses, where morphemes are characterised as individually meaningful units which are minimal in the sense that they are not divisible into smaller meaningful units. 4 The question just posed now becomes: Do morphemes count as signs, or do only words count, or both?Much of the divergence in how the term ‘morpheme’ is used can be seen as due to implicit or explicit attempts to treat morphemes as signs, despite the difficulties that quickly arise when one does so. These are difficulties that Saussure never confronts, because the term ‘morpheme’ never appears in the Cours. In Saussure’s defence, one can fairly plead that he could not be expected to cover every aspect of his notion of the sign in introductory lectures. Yet the question that I have just posed about morphemes is one that naturally arises almost as soon as the notion of the sign is introduced.A case can be made for attributing to Saussure two diametrically opposed positions relating to the role of signs in word-formation. I will call these the morpheme-as-sign position and the word-as-sign position. I will first present evidence from the Cours for morphe mes as signs, then present evidence for words as signs. 1. 1 Evidence for the morpheme-as-sign position in Saussure’s Cours The distinction between langue and parole is far from the only important binary distinction introduced by Saussure in his Cours.Another is the distinction between syntagmatic relationships (involving elements in linear succession) and associative relationships (involving elements that contrast on a dimension of choice). 5 Elements that can be related syntagmatically include signs, and in particular the signifiants of signs, which are ‘presented one after another’ so as to ‘form a chain’ (part 1, chapter 1, section 3; 103; 70). Chains of items that form syntagmatically related combinations are called syntagmas (syntagmes) (part 2, chapter 5; 170-5; 121-5). Some syntagmas have meanings that are conventionalised or idiomatic.This conventionalisation renders them part of langue. An example is the phrase prendre la mouche (literally ‘to take the fly’), which means ‘to take offence’ (part 2, chapter 5, section 2; 172; 123). However, the great majority of phrases and sentences have meanings that are transparent, not idiomatic. As such, they belong to parole, not to langue. As examples of syntagmas that belong to parole, Saussure cites contre tous ‘against all’, la vie humaine ‘human life’, Dieu est bon ‘God is good’, and s’il fait beau temps, nous sortirons ‘if it’s fine, we’ll go out’ (part 2, chapter 5, section 1; 170; 121).These phrases and sentences do not constitute signs as wholes; rather, t 4 5 This resembles Bloomfield’s classic definition: ‘a linguistic form which bears no partial phoneticsemantic resemblance to any other form’ (1933: 161). One implication of the specification ‘partial’ is that two morphemes may display total phonetic identity (so as to be homonyms) or total semantic identity (so as to be synonyms). In the technical terminology of linguistics, the term ‘paradigmatic’, promoted by Louis Hjelmslev (1961), has come to replace ‘associative’ as the counterpart of ‘syntagmatic’.But I will stick to Saussure’s term in this chapter. 8 ANDREW CARSTAIRS-MCCARTHY they are made up of smaller signs, namely the words or idiomatic expressions that they contain. On this basis, the question ‘Do morphemes count as signs? ’ can be refined as ‘Can morphemes as such compose syntagmas that belong to parole rather than to langue? ’ At first sight, the answer is yes. In the very same passage where Saussure gives the examples just quoted, he cites the word re-lire ‘to read again’.Saussure uses the hyphen to draw attention to the divisibility of this word into two elements, re- ‘again’ and lire ‘to read’. The word relire thus has a meaning that is as tr ansparent as that of unhelpfulness. Here, at least, it seems clear that Saussure intends us to analyse the morpheme re- as a sign, forming part of a syntagma that belongs to parole rather than to langue. Further evidence for this ‘morpheme-as-sign’ position seems to be supplied by Saussure’s discussion of suffixes such as -ment and -eux, and of zero signs.The t words enseignement ‘instruction’, enseigner ‘to teach’ and enseignons ‘we teach’ t r clearly share what Saussure calls a ‘common element’. Similarly, the suffixes -ment and -eux are ‘common elements’ in the set of words enseignement, armement ‘armament’ and changement ‘change (noun)’, and in the set desir-eux ‘desirous’ t (from desir ‘desire’), chaleur-eux ‘warm’ (from chaleur ‘warmth’), and peur-eux r r ‘fearful’ (from peur ‘fear’) (part 2 , chapter 5, section 3; 173-5; 123-5). 6 These r common elements are morphemes, in terms of our rough-and-ready definition.Are they also signs, in Saussure’s sense? Saussure hints at the answer ‘yes’ when he discusses a set of instances where overt suffixes contrast with zero. In Czech, the noun zena ‘woman’ illustrates a widespread pattern in which the genitive plural form zen is differentiated from the other case-number forms, such as the accusative singular zenu and the nominative plural zeny, simply by the absence of a suffix. Here the genitive plural has as its exponent ‘zero’ or ‘the sign zero’ (part 1, chapter 3, section 3; 123-4; 86).Surely then (one is inclined to think) the accusative singular suffix -u and the nominative plural suffix -y, both being morphemes in our sense, must have at least as much right as zero has to count as signs. It is tempting to conclude that, in complex words, Saussure recognises individu al morphemes as signs provided that the complex word is regularly formed and semantically transparent. A reader of the Cours who looks for explicit confirmation of this tempting conclusion will be frustrated, however.Many complex words other than re-lire and forms of zena are discussed, but always it is in contexts that emphasise the associative relationships of the word as a whole, rather than the syntagmatic relationship between the morphemes that compose it. These discussions point away from morphemes as signs and towards words as signs, therefore. 1. 2 Evidence for the word-as-sign position in Saussure’s Cours Closely parallel in structure to relire is the verb de-faire ‘to undo’, also discussed by Saussure (part 2, chapter 6, section 2; 177-8; 127-8). Again he uses a hyphen to draw attention to its internal structure.The meaning of defaire, at least in many 6 The inconsistency in the use of hyphens here is Saussure’s. BASIC TERMINOLOGY 9 contexts, see ms just as transparent as that of relire, on the basis of the meanings of faire ‘to do’ and de- implying reversal. Indeed, Saussure draws our attention to this transparency by citing the parallel formations decoller ‘to unstick’, deplacer ‘to r r remove’ (literally ‘to un-place’) and decoudre ‘to unsew’. However, comparing the discussion of relire, we find an important difference in emphasis here. With relire, the emphasis was on syntagmatic relationships.With defaire, however, the emphasis is on the associative relationships that it enters into: not just with decoller, deplacer and decoudre but also with faire itself, refaire ‘to redo’, and contrefaire ‘to caricature’. Now, it is clear that contrefaire is something of an outsider in this list, because its meaning cannot be predicted from that of its elements faire and contre ‘against’. One might therefore have expected Saussure t o say something like this: â€Å"Because of its unpredictable meaning, the syntagma contrefaire is conventionalised and belongs as a unitary sign to langue, so that contre and faire do not count as signs in this context.However, the meanings of the other complex words I have cited are predictable, so they are examples of syntagmas that belong to parole, and in them the morphemes re- and de-, as well as the verb stems that accompany them, are signs. † But what Saussure actually says is almost the opposite of that. The word defaire is decomposable into ‘smaller units’, he says, only to the extent that is ‘surrounded by’ those other forms (decoller, refaire and so on) on the axis of association. Moreover, a word such as desireux is ‘a product, a combination of interdependent elements, their value [i. . valeur] deriving solely from their mutual contributions within a larger unit’ (part 2, chapter 6, section 1; 176; 126). Recall that valeur i s a property of signs, dependent on their place within the sign system as a r whole. Saussure’s words here imply, therefore, that in desireux, the ‘smaller unit’ or ‘element’ -eux, though clearly identifiable, is not a sign. Saussure hints that even the root desir, in the context of this word, does not count as a sign either, although it clearly does so when it appears as a word on its own. We are thus left with a contradiction.The word relire is cited in a context that invites us to treat it as a unit of parole, not langue, composed of signs, just like the sentence If it’s fine, we’ll go out. On the other hand, the discussion surrounding defaire insists on its status as a unit of langue, a sign as a whole, composed of ‘elements’ or ‘smaller units’ that are not signs. On the basis of my presentation so far, the evidence for the two positions (morpheme-as-sign and word-as-sign) may seem fairly evenly balanced. B ut there are solid reasons to think that the word-as-sign position more closely reflects Saussure’s true view.Consider the French number word dix-neuf ‘nineteen’ (literally f ‘ten-nine’). In such a transparent compound as this, the two morphemes dix and neuf, being words (and hence signs) on their own, must surely still count as signs f (one may think). But no, says Saussure: dix-neuf does not contain parts that are signs f any more than vingt ‘twenty’ does (part 2, chapter 6, section 3; 181; 130). The t difference between dix-neuf and vingt, as he presents it, involves a new distinction: f t between signs that are motivated and signs that are unmotivated.The sign vingt is unmotivated in that it is purely arbitrary: the sounds (or letters) that make it up give f no clue to its meaning. The sign dix-neuf however, contains subunits which give clues to its meaning that could hardly be stronger. Even so, according to Saussure, 10 ANDREW CARS TAIRS-MCCARTHY dix-neuf is still a single sign on the same plane as vingt or neuf or soixante-dix f t f ‘seventy’ (literally ‘sixty-ten’). It is the valeur of dix-neuf in the system of French r f number words that imposes on it the status of a unitary sign, despite its semantic transparency. Saussure might also have added that this transparency, real though it is, depends on a convention that belongs to French langue, not parole: the convention that concatenation of dix and neuf means ‘ten plus nine’, not ‘ten times f nine’ or ‘ten to the ninth power’, for example. His neglect of this point reflects his general neglect of syntactic and syntagmatic convention. 7 Similarly, the English plural form ships is motivated because it ‘recall[s] a whole series like flags, birds, books, etc. ’, while men and sheep are unmotivated because they ‘recall no parallel cases’.The plural suffix -(e)s is, in the English-speaking world, among the first halfdozen ‘morphemes’ that every beginning student of linguistics is introduced to. Yet for Saussure it does not count as sign; it is merely a reason for classifying the words that it appears in (ships, flags etc. ) as relatively motivated signs rather than purely d arbitrary ones. There is thus a striking discrepancy between the word-centred approach to complex words, predominant in the work of the pioneer structuralist Saussure, and the morpheme-centred approach that (as we shall see) predominated among his structuralist successors.In section 2 I will outline the attractions and pitfalls of morpheme-centred approaches. 2. MORPHEME AND WORD Saussure recognised some of the difficulties inherent in using ‘word’ as a technical term (part 2, chapter 2, section 3). Nevertheless, when illustrating his notion ‘sign’, he chose linguistic units that in ordinary usage would be classified as r r words, such as Lati n arbor ‘tree’ and French juger ‘to judge’ (part 1, chapter 1, section 1; part 2, chapter 4, section 2).This may be largely because the languages from which he drew his examples were nearly all well-studied European languages with a long written history and a tradition of grammatical and lexical analysis in f terms of which the identification of words (in some sense) was uncontroversial. However, accompanying the theoretical developments in linguistics in the early twentieth century was an explosion in fieldwork on non-Indo-European languages, particularly in the Americas and Africa. In these languages, lacking a European-style tradition of grammatical description, identifying words as linguistic units often seemed problematic.In fact, there was a strong current of opinion according to which the word deserves no special status in linguistic description, and in particular no special status warranting a distinction between the internal structure of words (â⠂¬Ëœmorphology’) and the internal structure of phrases and sentences (‘syntax’). As Malinowski put it, ‘isolated words are in fact only linguistic figments, the products of an advanced linguistic analysis’ (Malinowski 1935: 11, cited by Robins 1990: 154). So what units are appropriate as tools for a preliminary linguistic analysis?It seemed natural to answer: those units that are clearly indivisible grammatically and t 7 I owe this point to Harris (1987: 132). BASIC TERMINOLOGY 11 lexically, or, in other words, units of the kind that we provisionally labelled ‘morphemes’ in section 1. Thus, despite Saussure’s leaning towards the word-assign position, the experience of fieldwork on languages unfamiliar to most European and American scholars imposed a preference for a version of the morpheme-as-sign position. Where, then, does the morpheme-as-sign position leads us?Let us recall first the Saussurean norm of what constitutes a signif iant: a sequentially ordered string of sounds, such as Latin [arbor] (spelled arbor) or French [ y e] (spelled juger), such that every unit of parole is analysable exhaustively as a string of signifiants (part 1, chapter 1, section 3). What we will observe is a temptation towards signs with signifiants that deviate progressively further from this norm. The analyses that I will discuss are based on an approach to morphemes that was expounded in particular by Zellig S. Harris (1942), Charles F.Hockett (1947), Bernard Bloch (1947) and Eugene A. Nida (1948). None of these explicitly espouses the morpheme-as-sign position, because none of them cites Saussure. However, the issues that they discuss can all be seen as prima facie difficulties for that position. The fact that all these references are clustered more than half a century ago reflects the replacement of f morphology by syntax at the centre of grammatical theory-construction. Nevertheless, I will comment in section 3 on uses of t he term ‘morpheme’ since about 1960. 2. Case study: English noun plural forms (part 1) f For Saussure, as we have seen, the -s suffix of flags and ships is not a sign but an element that renders those words relatively motivated, by contrast with men and sheep. Let us say instead that this -s suffix is indeed a sign, with the signifie ‘plural’. What is its signifiant? So far as English spelling is concerned, the answer is simple. When we turn to phonology, however, we encounter our first stumbling-block. In a conventional phonemic transcription for these two words, the suffix will appear in two different shapes, /z/ and /s/, (/fl? , ps/), and there is yet a third shape, either / z/ or / z/, according to dialect, found in words such as roses, horses, churches and judges. 8 Must we then recognise three different signs with the same signifie? Such an analysis would place these three signs on a par with sets of synonyms such as courgettes and zucchini, or nearly and almost. That is hardly satisfactory, because it neglects the role of phonology in determining the complementary distribution of the three shapes: / z/ appears after strident coronal sounds, while elsewhere /z/ appears after voiced sounds and /s/after voiceless ones.It was in relation to patterns such as this that the term ‘allomorph’ was first introduced in morphology. The intended parallel with the notions ‘phoneme’ and ‘allophone’ is evident. Just as sounds that are phonetically similar and in 8 In my dialect, the third shape is / z/, so that taxes sounds the same as taxis, but roses sounds different from Rosa’s. For many speakers of other dialects, the homophony pattern is the other way round. The examples that I will discuss fit my own dialect, but similar examples can easily be constructed to t make the same point for speakers with the other homophony pattern. 2 ANDREW CARSTAIRS-MCCARTHY complementary distribution count as allo phones of one phoneme, so individually meaningful units that are not divisible into smaller meaningful units, provided that they are synonymous and in complementary distribution, count as allomorphs of one morpheme. And just as it is the allophones of a phoneme that get pronounced, rather than the phoneme itself, a morpheme is likewise not pronounced directly, but represented in the speech chain by whichever of its allomorphs is appropriate for the context.This applies even to morphemes that have the same shape in all contexts, because there is no reason in principle why a morpheme should not have only one allomorph, just as a phoneme may have only one allophone. Notice, however, that that phrase ‘individually meaningful units that are not divisible into smaller meaningful units’ is lifted from my provisional definition of ‘morpheme’ in section 1. It seems, then, that our exploration of the morpheme-assign position has led us already to a dilemma.If the uni ts / z/, /z/ and /s/ are l Saussurean signs, just like the units / n/ (un-), /help/ (help), /f l/ (-ful) and /n s/ (-ness) that served to introduce the ‘morpheme’ notion in section 1, then we must concede that the units that deserve ‘sign’ status, as an alternative to words, are not after all morphemes but allomorphs of morphemes. 9 Furthermore, if / z/, /z/ and /s/ are all signifiants of signs whose signifie is ‘plural’, the morpheme that they all belong to seems somehow superfluous from the point of view of the Saussurean t sign, constituting neither a signifiant nor a signifie.On the other hand, if we wish to continue to say that it is morphemes that are signs, rather than allomorphs, we must depart from the Saussurean doctrine that a signifiant is a linearly ordered string t within the speech chain (/ z/, for example), and say instead that it is, or may be, a set d of linearly ordered strings in complementary distribution (/ z/, /z/ and /s/ , in this instance). The fact that the distribution of these allomorphs is phonologically conditioned may suggest an escape from this dilemma.If the choice between the three allomorphs is determined purely by constraints of English phonology, then perhaps we can say that, in phonological terms at least (although not phonetic), we really are dealing with only one string within the speech chain, not three. If so, the problem of multiple signifiants disappears, and the plural -s suffix conforms to the norm for a Saussurean sign. The stumbling-block is not quite so easily surmounted, however. English phonological constraints do not supply a conclusive verdict on which allomorph is appropriate in all contexts.There are many contexts where more than one of the three allomorphs is phonologically admissible, and some contexts where all three are. Consider the noun pen /pen/. Its plural form is /penz/, complying with the generalisation that the voiced form of the suffix appears after voiced sounds (other than coronal stridents). But this is not because the alternative suffix shapes yield bad phonotactic combinations. Both /pens/ and / pen z/ are phonologically wellformed, and indeed both exist as words (pence and pennies). So something more than pure ( phonotactics is at work in the choice between the three allomorphs.Only in terms of a phonological theory more sophisticated than any available in Saussure’s time (for 9 This is the view defended by Me uk (1993-2000). BASIC TERMINOLOGY 13 example, contemporary Optimality Theory) can we motivate a single phonological underlier for all three. Around the middle of the twentieth century, problems such as the one we have just encountered were typically handled by positing a level of analysis in some degree distinct from both phonology and morphology, called morphophonology (sometimes abbreviated to morphonology) or morphophonemics.The terms ‘morphophonology’ and ‘morphophonological’ are someti mes used to mean simply ‘(pertaining to) the interface between morphology and phonology’. However, morphophonemics has a more specific sense, implying a unit called a morphophoneme. In this instance, one might posit a morphophoneme /Z/ (say), realised phonologically as / z/, /z/ or /s/, according to the context. 10 This allows us to posit a single signifiant underlying / z/, /z/ and /s/, but at the cost (again) of t recognising a signifiant which departs from Saussure’s norm in that it is not t pronounceable directly.The morphophoneme /Z/, as just described, is realised by allomorphs that are distributed on a phonological basis. But complementary distribution may be based on grammar rather than phonology. English nouns such as wife, loaf and bath supply f f f an illustration of this. In the singular, they end in a voiceless fricative: /waif/, /louf/, / /ba /. In the plural, however, their stems end in a voiced fricative (/waiv/, /louv/, /ba /). (This difference b etween the singular and plural stems is reflected orthographically in wives and loaves, though not in paths. The allomorph of the plural suffix that accompanies them is therefore, as expected, the one that appears after voiced sounds: /z/. Do the singular and plural stems therefore belong to distinct morphemes? To say so would be consistent with Baudouin de Courtenay’s usage. However, more recent linguists, influenced by the identity in meaning and the nearcomplete identity in sound in pairs such as has wife and wive-, have always treated them as allomorphs of one morpheme.Yet there is nothing phonological about the plural suffix that enforces the selection of the voiced-fricative allomorph. The noun wife itself can carry the possessive marker -’s to yield a form wife’s /waifs/ with a voiceless fricative in a phonologically wellformed cluster. Moreover, not all nouns whose stems end in voiceless fricatives exhibit this voicing in the plural; for example, it does not occur in the plural forms fifes, oafs or breaths.So the voicing is restricted both lexically (it occurs in some nouns only) and grammatically (it occurs only when the plural suffix /Z/ follows). Some morphologists have handled this by positing morphophonemes such as /F/ and / /, units that are realised as a voiced phoneme in the plural and a voiceless one in the singular (Harris 1942). These nouns 10 The convention of using capital letters to represent morphophonemes was quite widespread in the mid twentieth century (see e. g. Harris 1942). But capital letters were also used to represent a purely phonological notion, the archiphoneme.An archiphoneme is a unit that replaces two or more phonemes in a context where the contrast between them is unavailable, as for example in German the m contrast between /t/ and /d/ is unavailable in syllable codas. The [t] that appears in codas in German was often said to realise not /t/, which would imply a contrast with /d/, but an archiphoneme /T/, t d implying no such contrast. It is important not to be misled by notation into confusing t morphophonemes with archiphonemes. 14 ANDREW CARSTAIRS-MCCARTHY an then be represented morphophonologically (rather than phonologically) as /waiF/, /louF/ and /ba /. The morphophoneme can be seen as a device which enables a morpheme to be t analysed as having a single signifiant (and thus as constituting a single Saussurean sign) even when in terms of its phonology it seems necessary to recognise multiple allomorphs and hence multiple signifiants – a possibility that Saussure does not allow for. But is the morphophoneme device capable of handling all multipleallomorph patterns satisfactorily? The answer is no, as I will demonstrate in the next subsections. . 2 Case study: the perfect participle forms of English verbs I use ‘perfect participle’ to refer to the form in which the lexical verb appears when accompanied by the auxiliary have, as in I have waited, I have pl ayed, I have swum. The regular English perfect participle suffix -(e)d has three shapes, /t/, /d/ and d 11 / d/. These are distributed in a fashion closely parallel to the allomorphs of the noun plural suffix: / d/ appears after coronal plosives, while elsewhere /d/ appears after voiced sounds and /t/ after voiceless ones.But, just as with the noun plural suffix, phonology alone does not always guarantee the correct choice of suffix. For d t example, /’k? n d/, /k? nd/ and /k? nt/ are all phonologically possible words and indeed actual words: canid ‘member of the subgroup of mammals to which wolves d and dogs belong’, canned ‘contained in a can’ and cant ‘hypocrisy’. These suffix d t shapes therefore illustrate the same stumbling-block and the same dilemma as the three shapes of the plural suffix.One way of handling this, as with the plural suffix, is to posit a morphophoneme (say, /D/), realised as /t/, /d/ or / d/, according to the pho nological context. However, the perfect participle exhibits complications, one of which is not paralleled in noun plurals. Some verbs have a perfect participle form with the suffix t d /t/ (orthographically -t rather than -ed) which appears even where /d/ would be expected, because the last sound of the verb stem is voiced, or where / d/ would be expected, because what precedes is a coronal plosive.Examples of these ‘orthographic-t’ verbs are build (perfect participle built), bend (bent), feel (felt), keep d t d t l t (kept), spell (spelt), lose (lost), teach (taught), and buy (bought). Corresponding to t l t t t each of these it is possible to find a verb with a similar stem shape but whose perfect participle is formed with /t/, /d/ or / d/ according to the regular pattern: (1) Orthographic-t verbs Base Perfect participle build built bend bent feel felt Regular verbs Base gild tend peel Perfect participle gilded tended eeled 11 In many dialects other than mine, the thi rd allomorph is not / d/ but / d/. This does not affect my d d argument, however. BASIC TERMINOLOGY 15 seeped heaved felled oozed bleached lied keep leave spell lose teach buy kept left spelt lost taught bought seep heave fell ooze bleach lie As is clear, a further characteristic of orthographic-t verbs is that they nearly t always display a stem form that differs from the base or present-tense stem. What immediately concerns us is the suffix, however.Is it or is it not a distinct morpheme from the regular /t/ (spelt -ed) which is in complementary distribution with / d/ and d /d/? If we answer ‘yes’, we implicitly claim that the fact that /t/ is a common allomorph of the -ed morpheme as well as the sole allomorph of the -t morpheme is d t a mere coincidence. But, just as with wife and wive-, it goes against the grain to posit two distinct morphemes with the same meaning and such similar shapes. Thus the consensus in analyses of English verb morphology is that ‘ort hographic-t’ in an allomorph of the same morpheme that regular /t/, /d/ and / d/ belon