Linking elements in Germanic

Linking elements such as -s in German Versicherung-s-vertreter are found in between the parts of word-formation products in several Germanic languages. Systematic and functional aspects of linking elements are first introduced with respect to German. After that, a survey of other Germanic languages is provided. In parallel across the Germanic languages, the distribution of linking elements is different from that of the inflectional markers they stem from. Linking-s is distributed based on morphological (and, in German, prosodic) complexity, suggesting a function as morphological boundary marker across languages. The distribution of syllabic elements is more language-specific and based on semantic, rhythmic, and inflectional characteristics, respectively