Chapter 8: Conclusion

The analyses we present have been implemented and tested to see that they do indeed make predictions in line with the observable facts. We consider this to be an important standard to observe in morphological theory. We can isolate particular rules within the morphological network to determine their contribution, but ultimately the interconnected nature of morphological knowledge means that we need implementation to make sure that our theoretical claims actually work. The solution to one particularly interesting problem should not detract from the more general cases in the language. This is why we have implemented and tested our analyses. This allows us to claim that our arguments about morphology have external validity. Implementation in this way will allow for improvement and evaluation, and it should be seen as a prerequisite for work on morphological theory.