Theplural ending – le and influences between the inflectional and the derivational morphology

In this article we describe the situations in which the plural ending –le has a derivative value, creating feminine plural nouns. This ending is part of two suffixes used to derive plural nouns, –ale and –ele (both with complex suffixes). In some borrowed formations the suffixes were attached to the etymons in order to adapt them to the Romanian morphological system, while other formations were created in Romanian. Some neological formations with –ale were borrowed and they are analysable in Romanian. We present a list with the derivatives created with these suffixes (and the developed suffixes), based on several dictionaries: DA, DLR, DI, and MDA. In the article we make some remarks regarding the dating of these suffixes and formations, their productivity, the relation between the plural derivatives and the singular nouns (if there are any) and we describe some theoretical aspects.


The suffixes -ale and -icale
The suffix -ale has multiple origin (see fclr, p. 122-123): (a) it was created in Romanian, for the adaptation of some borrowings from Modern Greek which had an unusual final for the Romanian morphological system, with the plural ending -ικά (for instance, politicale 'political matters' < Gr. πολιτικά, cf. dlr -see Email address: ileanablanca@gmail.com. infra) and (b) borrowed from Latin (-ales 1 ), from French (-ales), and from German (-alien), in analysable nouns.
We can notice that there are two stylistic types of formations with -ale: some of them are from standard language or from specialized registers, others are vernacular or regional. This separation has its causes in the multiple origins of the suffix: internal, through conversion of the plural ending -le in a lexical derivative affix (detached with the final segment -a or -ica), and external, detached from analysable neological nouns, from literary language. The formations with -icale are regional or vernacular. Neither of the suffixes was very productive in Romanian and no new formations appeared in contemporary language.

The suffix -ele
The nominal suffix -ele is not discussed in the Romanian scholarly literature 6 , probably because it was considered simply a plural form of the suffix with the feminine form -ea 7 . In dictionaries, some formations with -ele have etymologies with -ea, although all the examples are with the plural form, in -ele (for instance: adormițele 'anemone; Easter flower' -in dlrm; alunele 'a type of plant with white flowers (Carum bulbocastanum)' -in da; ațîțele 'shavings' -in mda; găluștele 'small dumplings' -in mda, etc.), other formations have etymologies with -ele in the dictionaries (adormițele 'anemone; Easter flower' -in mda; fărîmele 'small crumbs' -in dex 2 ; măgurele 'small hummock' , piersecele 'a type of orchid (Cypripedium)' , scălcele 'dandelion' , sclipurele 'small arcades' , spetele 'inset' , stenurele 'small rocks' , strîmturele 'piece of garment for women' -all in dlr,m etc.). Sometimes, the dictionaries indicate the eymology with the masculine suffix -el, although all the examples are with the plural form in -ele (sfaturele in an idiom meaning 'to stammer' , șesurele 'small plains' , ștucurele 'small fragments' -in dlr). Most likely, the suffix -ele comes from the plural form of the inherited diminutive suffix -ea, being detached from the analysable formations with the plural form of this suffix. It has become quite productive, leading to the formation of pluralia tantum nouns with an attenuated or lost diminutive meaning. The fact that the suffix attaches to verbal themes as well is a sign that it has lost its initial diminutive meaning.
In the inventory of -ele derivatives, there is only one adjective, with feminine, plural form: borețele '(reg.) full of milk' (attested in alrt II, 60/9), derived from borețe, an adjective with the same meaning (according to mda; the word is not registered in da).

Conclusions
We have shown that -le is used with a derivative value, in the suffixes -ale and -ele (for -ale, see fclr), as well as in some complex suffixes formed from these two, in several types of derivatives: • derivatives to which the ending -le was attached in order to adapt the borrowings to the Romanian inflectional system, as the etymon had an unusual ending for Romanian; • derivatives created in Romanian with the suffixes -ale and -ele (and their complex suffixes), from themes of various origins; • borrowings from Latin and Romance languages or from German (only with the suffix -ale). The derivatives with these suffixes are frequently pluralia tantum feminine nouns (with some exceptions, of neuter gender in dlr, similarly to the theme). Some of them also have singular forms, ulterior to the plural one. Others have a different meaning than the singular correspondent (and singular meaning, as well), therefore they cannot be considered plural forms (and -le must be analysed as a derivative affix, not an inflectional one). For the formations with plural meaning, the affix -le accumulates a derivative