That's not evidence that the plural morpheme is becoming a clitic but
that mother-in-law is being treated as a single compound noun rather
than an open phrase.

John Dews-Alexander wrote:
> Herb, I know you've studied clitics extensively; is there any evidence of
> the English plural marker (-s) moving away from affix status and toward
> clitic status?
> 
> I ask this because in actual usage, I hear "mother-in-laws" much more often
> than I hear "mothers-in-law" for the plural.
> 
> As a teacher I offer the wisdom of bowing to style guides, but as a linguist
> I get to have more fun and find out what *actually* happens in language. In
> this case, the linguist in me is more intrigued than the teacher.
> 
> John Alexander
> 
> On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 12:44 PM, STAHLKE, HERBERT F <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> 
>> Works only if both husbands have remarried.  Otherwise aren't both
>> mothers-in-law your mother.  Could her taste in clothes really be that bad?
>>  And so soon after Mother's Day.
>>
>> Welcome to the list!
>>
>> Herb
>>
>> Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.
>> Emeritus Professor of English
>> Ball State University
>> Muncie, IN  47306
>> [log in to unmask]
>> ________________________________________
>> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [
>> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ingerman, Prudence (INGERMAN) [
>> [log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: May 12, 2009 1:05 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: a grammar question
>>
>> Alas, but can you really do this?  Both my first and second husband's
>> mothers-in-law's tastes in clothing were abominable.  What about singular of
>> taste?  Guess not, but it sounds better.
>>
>> Prudence
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:
>> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Larry Beason
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:53 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: a grammar question
>>
>> But what's really fun is to pluralize such nouns AND show possession.  I'm
>> just tossing this out for possible correction, but my recollection is that
>> you pluralize the 'major noun' in such as phrase, such as 'mothers in law.'
>>
>> Yet how does one show possession now (besides just recasting the whole durn
>> sentence to avoid the awkwardness)?
>>
>> Would it be 'mothers in law's'? if we abide by the possession guideline
>> separately from the pluralization guideline for this structure?
>>
>> argh
>>
>> Larry
>>
>> Larry Beason
>> Associate Professor & Composition Director
>> Dept. of English, 240 HUMB
>> Univ. of South Alabama
>> Mobile AL 36688
>> (251) 460-7861
>>>>> Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]> 05/12/09 10:40 AM >>>
>> Oops. I meant possessive marker, not plural marker.
>>
>> On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 11:22 AM, Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> You were right. It is* brother-in-law's*. The apostrophe-s plural marker
>>> is appended to the end of the noun phrase, even if the noun is not the
>> last
>>> word:
>>>
>>> the attorney-at-law's ethics
>>> the Queen of England's horses
>>> Ben and Jerry's new flavor
>>> my son the doctor's fancy-schmancy office
>>> the jerk who lives upstairs's obnoxious music
>>>
>>> Dick
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 10:56 AM, Ingerman, Prudence (INGERMAN) <
>>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I am delighted to join this group of grammar gurus.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I have a brother-in-law.  I have two brothers-in-law.    My elder
>>>> brother-in-law's son is also a doctor.
>>>>
>>>> My sister is an attorney-at-law.   Her three siblings are also
>>>> attorneys-at-law.  The attorney-at-law's office is on the 3rd floor.
>>>>
>>>> Is there a rule about this?   That's the question.  Why is it incorrect
>> to
>>>> say - the attorney's-at -law office.  What is special about that
>> tacked-on
>>>> prepositional phrase?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for your thoughts.
>>>>
>>>> Prudence Ingerman - IEP Juniata College
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:
>>>> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of R. Michael Medley (GLS)
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 10:45 AM
>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>> Subject: how confidential is ATEG?
>>>>
>>>> I recently received a post on another listserv where a grammar question
>>>> was being discussed.  Since there is a wide range of language teaching
>>>> issues discussed on that listserv, I posted a message to other members
>>>> that if they really love grammar and would like to participate in some
>>>> excellent dicussion of grammar issues, they might subscribe to the ATEG
>>>> list.  One of them accepted this invitation, subscribed, and got a
>> welcome
>>>> message with the following lines included:
>>>>
>>>> "IMPORTANT: This list is confidential. You should not publicly mention
>> its
>>>> existence."
>>>>
>>>> Have I broken a rule in recommending the ATEG list to others?
>>>>
>>>> R. Michael Medley,Ph.D.
>>>> Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA 22802
>>>> [log in to unmask]  (540) 432-4051
>>>>
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