From stems to forms: paradigm zones in Italian verb inflection

Matteo Pellegrini

doi:10.5817/ERB2024-3-5

From stems to forms: paradigm zones in Italian verb inflection

Vol.45,No.3(2024)

Matteo Pellegrini

https://doi.org/10.5817/ERB2024-3-5

Stable URL (handle):
http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/digilib.80985

PDF (Italian)

Abstract

This work presents an analysis of interpredictability between paradigm cells in Italian verbal inflection. The approach is abstractive: the starting point is inflected forms, without assuming any segmentation a priori. The methodology is based on information-theoretic notions: the uncertainty in predicting a form from another one is measured by means of conditional entropy. The results are used to draw a mapping of the verbal paradigm of Italian in zones, such that cells that belong to the same zone are systematically predictable from one another. This mapping is compared to the one of important previous studies that have adopted a constructive approach, based on predictability between stems. Lastly, the quantification of uncertainty through conditional entropy is used as evaluation metrics to establish which approach yields a more economical analysis between the abstractive one of the present work and the constructive one of previous studies.

Keywords:
paradigms; verbal inflection; Italian; predictability; entropy

Pages:
70–101

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