My research focuses on a broad range of issues concerning the relation between lexical semantics, morphology, and syntax. I'm concerned with cross-linguistic and typological matters in these domains, especially within the Uralic family. Following up on research from my book with Webelhuth I am exploring ways of revitalizing Word & Paradigm (alternatively, pattern-based inferential-realizational) models of morphology.

    An early focus of this work was on the relevance of paradigms and periphrasis for theory construction within a view of grammar referred to as Realization-based Lexicalism (Blevins 2001). In collaboration with J. P. Blevins and Rob Malouf this research on word-based morphology has broadened into explorations of morphology as a complex adaptive system (following research in Ecological Developmental Biology (Gilbert and Epers 2009, Bateson and Gluckman 2011, Gissis and Jablonka 2011)).

    We utilize information-theoretic measures to study cross-linguistic paradigm organization in terms of implicational relations among related wordforms. Related work is being done by Gregory Stump, Rafael Finkel and Andrew Wedel. We are presently exploring how experimental research can be be applied to learnability issues bearing on word-based based morphology. Many of these strands of research are synthesized in a recent book with Irina Nikolaeva http://ling.uni-konstanz.de/pages/home/nikolaeva/ (see below).

    Over the past few years I have been working on the description and theoretical analysis of an underdocumented Kordofanian language, Moro, spoken in Sudan. This is collaborative work with my co-PI Sharon Rose and several graduate and undergraduate students under the auspices of an NSF grant (BCS-0745973). This research can be seen at http://moro.ucsd.edu/. I have also developed a correspondence-based mapping theory with John Moore and we are presently extending this model to the Moro morphology-syntax interface.