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 >>>> >>>> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface >>>> at: >>>> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >>>> and select "Join or leave the list" >>>> >>>> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >>>> >>>> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface >>>> at: >>>> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >>>> and select "Join or leave the list" >>>> >>>> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >>>> >>> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface >> at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> and select "Join or leave the list" >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface >> at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> and select "Join or leave the list" >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface >> at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> and select "Join or leave the list" >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface >> at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> and select "Join or leave the list" >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/