What are the "slots" in the Japanese agglutinative verb system?


In [another question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1505/is-
japanese-really-an-agglutinative-language) we established that Japanese is an
[agglutinating language](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agglutinative_language)
([more here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agglutination)), if only in its verb
system.

Since it is not traditional in Japanese grammar or teaching to go into this
aspect of the language most of the information must be in scholarly
linguistics publications somewhere.

My question is what are the "slots" used in the Japanese verb? This means in
which specific rigid order can the various types of suffixes be built up?

If the answer for Japanese is complex a pointer to a website or publication is
also a good answer.

([This article on another language](http://www.ne.jp/asahi/kaneko-
tohru/languages-nowar/newpage32.htm) includes a small example comparing to
Japanese for those who are not used to looking at Japanese this way. It
analyses the Japanese word "tabesaserareta")




The example you point to is not analyzing `tabe-sase-rare-ta`. It is analyzing
`tabe-sase-rare-takatta`. In traditional grammar, `takatta` is considered the
past form of the adjectival affix `tai` 'want', and the link you point to
analyzes it as such. But if you look at it in more detail, it is actually the
contracted form of:

[code]

    (1) tabe-sase-rare-ta-ku at-ta
        `wanted to be forced to eat'
    
[/code]

In actual usage, you will not see the string (1) as is because contraction is
obligatory. However, once contraction is blocked by some phrase, you will
notice that the structure seen in (1) is actually there:

[code]

    (2) tabe-sase-rare-ta-ku sae/mo at-ta
    
[/code]

In Japanese, the affixational morphological slots on verbs, if any, are not as
elaborated as you see in Chuckchee mentioned in the link. All you can see in
(2) is that particular morphemes select particular category to attach to.

[code]

    tabe-  A verbal stem
    -sase- A verbal affix to a verb
    -rare- A verbal affix to a verb
    -ta- An adjectival affixal root to a verb
    -ku  An infinitival affix to an adjective root
    ar-  A verbal stem selecting an infinitive (Turns into at- by gemination)
    -ta The past tense affix to a verb
    
[/code]

From these selectional properties, the ordering of these morphemes is pretty
much limited. Further notice that, in this case, the following alternative
ordering, if possible at all, will have a different meaning.

[code]

    (3) tabe-rare-sase-takat-ta
        `wanted to be forced into being eaten'
    
[/code]

In this case, syntax is playing an important role.

The general topic you are asking is much more complicated than what can be
explained in a webpage or two.

