We do not need structuralist morphemes, but we do need constituent structure

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

In the prethematic high~mid alternation of Spanish third-conjugation verbs, allomorph selection by phonological subcategorization in the morphology interacts with allomorph selection by phonotactic optimization in the phonology, pace Paster (2015). The cyclic locality conditions on this alternation support frameworks with stem storage (Bermúdez-Otero 2013a) or spanning (Svenonius and Haugen & Siddiqi in this volume), and challenge single-terminal insertion. Embick’s (2012) alternative analysis weakens inward cyclic locality excessively. Myler’s (2015) counterproposal overgenerates and undermines the explanation of the parallel cyclic transmission of allomorphy and allosemy. Allomorphy-allosemy mismatches do occur: e.g. when English trànsp[ə]rtátion preserves the argument structure of trànspórt but not its bipedality. However, such mismatches are not generated computationally; they arise diachronically through the interplay of computation and storage (Bermúdez-Otero 2012). Theories asserting that words lack constituent structure cannot explain this fact, pace Blevins, Ackerman & Malouf (this volume).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMorphological metatheory
EditorsDaniel Siddiqi, Heidi Harley
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company
Pages387–430
Number of pages44
ISBN (Electronic)9789027267122
ISBN (Print)9789027257123
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Jun 2016

Publication series

NameLinguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today
Volume229
ISSN (Print)0166-0829

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