Pons-Moll 2012: Lexical Exceptions, loanword phonology, Morphologically Driven Underapplication, and the Nature of Positionally Biased Constraints

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/content/article/files/1539_ponsmoll_1.pdf

ROA: 1281
Title: Lexical Exceptions, loanword phonology, Morphologically Driven Underapplication, and the Nature of Positionally Biased Constraints
Authors: Claudia Pons-Moll
Comment: Published in Catalan Journal of Linguistics, v. 11, p. 127-166, jan. 2012. Special issue on loanword phonology, ed. by Teresa Cabre and Michael Kenstowicz. ISSN 2014-9719. Available at: [http://revistes.uab.cat/catJL/article/view/v11-pons-moll].
Length: 40
Abstract: In this paper we provide a formal account for underapplication of vowel reduction to schwa in Majorcan Catalan loanwords and learned words. On the basis of the comparison of these data with those concerning productive derivation and verbal inflection, which show analogous patterns, in this paper we also explore the existing correlation between those processes that exhibit a particular behaviour in the loanword phonology with respect to the native phonology of the language, those processes that show lexical exceptions and those processes that underapply due to morphological reasons. In light of the analysis of the very same data and taking into account the aforementioned correlation, we show how there might exist a natural diachronic relation between two kinds of Optimality Theory constraints which are commonly used but, in principle, mutually exclusive: positional faithfulness and contextual markedness constraints. Overall, phonological productivity is proven to be crucial in three respects: first, as a context of the grammar, given that ‘underapplication’ is systematically found in what we call the productive phonology of the dialect (including loanwords, learned words, productive derivation and verbal inflection); second, as a trigger or blocker of processes, in that the productivity or the lack of productivity of a specific process or constraint in the language is what explains whether it is challenged or not in any of the depicted situations, and, third, as a guiding principle which can explain the transition from the historical to the synchronic phonology of a linguistic variety.
Type: Paper/tech report
Keywords: loanwords and learned words, lexical exceptions, morphologically driven underapplication, contextual markedness, positional faithfulness, Catalan, vowel reduction