Gender allomorphy and epenthesis in Spanish
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Eulàlia Bonet
Abstract
Contrary to most previous approaches, this paper argues that current Spanish does not have final epenthesis or plural epenthesis, based on several types of empirical evidence. As a consequence, former epenthetic vowels have been reinterpreted as “gender” allomorphs or class markers. Only initial and internal epenthesis are possible in the synchronic grammar of Spanish. It is also shown that, contrary to some views, -o is not the default class marker. Under this new light, class markers are reanalyzed within Optimality Theory. It is claimed that all allomorphs are present in the input and that the constraint ranking, together with lexical specifications, determine which class marker surfaces and what contexts favor vowel epenthesis. Invariable plural formation follows naturally under this approach. This view is compared with the idea that Spanish does have final epenthesis and plural epenthesis with lexical items divided in two groups, genuine words and loans, which are subject to different constraint rankings.
Abstract
Contrary to most previous approaches, this paper argues that current Spanish does not have final epenthesis or plural epenthesis, based on several types of empirical evidence. As a consequence, former epenthetic vowels have been reinterpreted as “gender” allomorphs or class markers. Only initial and internal epenthesis are possible in the synchronic grammar of Spanish. It is also shown that, contrary to some views, -o is not the default class marker. Under this new light, class markers are reanalyzed within Optimality Theory. It is claimed that all allomorphs are present in the input and that the constraint ranking, together with lexical specifications, determine which class marker surfaces and what contexts favor vowel epenthesis. Invariable plural formation follows naturally under this approach. This view is compared with the idea that Spanish does have final epenthesis and plural epenthesis with lexical items divided in two groups, genuine words and loans, which are subject to different constraint rankings.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- Spanish complex onsets and the phonetics–phonology interface 15
- Phonological phrasing in Spanish 39
- Hiatus resolution and incomplete identity 62
- Depalatalization in Spanish revisited 74
- Upstepping vowel height 99
- The phonology of nasal consonants in five Spanish dialects 146
- Optimality-theoretic advances in our understanding of Spanish syllable structure 172
- Exceptional hiatuses in Spanish 205
- The Spanish stress window 239
- Morphological structure and phonological domains in Spanish denominal derivation 278
- Gender allomorphy and epenthesis in Spanish 312
- A paradigm account of Spanish number 339
- Prefix boundaries in Spanish varieties 358
- Optimality Theory and language change in Spanish 378
- Duration, voice, and dispersion in stop contrasts from Latin to Spanish 399
- The interaction between faithfulness constraints and sociolinguistic variation 424
- Sonority scales and syllable structure 447
- Foot, word and phrase constraints in first language acquisition of Spanish stress 470
- Acquistion of syllable structure in Spanish 497
- Constraint conflict in the acquisition of clusters in Spanish 525
- Subject index 549
- Index of constraints 559
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- Spanish complex onsets and the phonetics–phonology interface 15
- Phonological phrasing in Spanish 39
- Hiatus resolution and incomplete identity 62
- Depalatalization in Spanish revisited 74
- Upstepping vowel height 99
- The phonology of nasal consonants in five Spanish dialects 146
- Optimality-theoretic advances in our understanding of Spanish syllable structure 172
- Exceptional hiatuses in Spanish 205
- The Spanish stress window 239
- Morphological structure and phonological domains in Spanish denominal derivation 278
- Gender allomorphy and epenthesis in Spanish 312
- A paradigm account of Spanish number 339
- Prefix boundaries in Spanish varieties 358
- Optimality Theory and language change in Spanish 378
- Duration, voice, and dispersion in stop contrasts from Latin to Spanish 399
- The interaction between faithfulness constraints and sociolinguistic variation 424
- Sonority scales and syllable structure 447
- Foot, word and phrase constraints in first language acquisition of Spanish stress 470
- Acquistion of syllable structure in Spanish 497
- Constraint conflict in the acquisition of clusters in Spanish 525
- Subject index 549
- Index of constraints 559
