Georgian Coordination Morphemes

@cite{haspelmath-2007} @cite{bill-etal-2025}

Georgian is one of two languages in our sample (with Hungarian) that attests all three M&S conjunction strategies: J-only, MU-only, and J-MU.

• da — J, free, prepositive: "A da B"
• -c — MU, bound clitic, postpositive: "A-c B-c"
• -c da...-c — J-MU combined

The MU particle -c is also Georgian's additive/focus particle, confirming the M&S prediction. Crucially, -c is a bound clitic, unlike Hungarian is (free). @cite{bill-etal-2025} speculate this morphological difference may explain why Georgian children found MU-involving strategies harder.

Connection to Typology.lean: Phenomena.Coordination.Studies.Haspelmath2007.georgian Connection to BillEtAl2025: Georgian children found J-MU hardest (contrary to the Transparency Principle prediction).

def Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.da : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry

da — primary conjunction, J particle. Free, prepositive. "nino da giorgi" = "Nino and Giorgi".

Equations

• Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.da = { form := "da", gloss := "and", role := Features.Coordination.CoordRole.j, boundness := Features.Coordination.Boundness.free }

def Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.c_ : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry

-c — MU particle / additive focus particle. Bound clitic, postpositive. Conjunction: "nino-c giorgi-c" = "both Nino and Giorgi". Additive: "nino-c dzinavs" = "Nino also sleeps". The bound status of -c contrasts with Hungarian free "is".

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.an : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry

an — disjunction. Free, prepositive. "nino an giorgi" = "Nino or Giorgi".

Equations

• Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.an = { form := "an", gloss := "or", role := Features.Coordination.CoordRole.disj, boundness := Features.Coordination.Boundness.free }

def Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.magram : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry

magram — adversative conjunction. "lamazia magram dzviri" = "beautiful but expensive".

Equations

• Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.magram = { form := "magram", gloss := "but", role := Features.Coordination.CoordRole.advers, boundness := Features.Coordination.Boundness.free }

def Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.allEntries : List Features.Coordination.CoordEntry

Equations

• Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.allEntries = [Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.da, Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.c_, Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.an, Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.magram]

theorem Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.one_bound : (List.filter (fun (x : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry) => x.boundness == Features.Coordination.Boundness.bound) allEntries).length = 1

Georgian has exactly one bound morpheme: the MU clitic -c.

theorem Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.bound_is_mu : ((List.filter (fun (x : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry) => x.boundness == Features.Coordination.Boundness.bound) allEntries).all fun (x : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry) => x.role == Features.Coordination.CoordRole.mu) = true

The bound morpheme is the MU particle.

theorem Fragments.Georgian.Coordination.mu_is_additive : ((List.filter (fun (x : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry) => x.role == Features.Coordination.CoordRole.mu) allEntries).all fun (x : Features.Coordination.CoordEntry) => x.alsoAdditive) = true

The MU particle -c also serves as an additive particle.