Syllable-constrained allomorphs
Daniel Krauße
I am looking for an easy way to determine allomorphs based on the number of syllables of the headword (which does not necessarily have to be the lexeme). So, we've got this in Wagiman:
lem-ma (the geminate is phonemic, there is also lema with another meaning)
den-na
norn-na
bony-a
long-a
(the suffix is -ma with various allomorphs assimilating to the preceding word when it is monosyllabic and ends in n or rn or changes to -a after ny and ng). This condition can be easily created in FLEx.
However, there are also such cases:
bornhborn-a, not *bornhborn-na (although this is a reduplicant of born-na!)
deworn-a, not *deworn-na
dardam-a, not *dardam-ma
This is because the preceding word is polysyllabic.
If I tell FLEx the environment of -a, it would be like this: /ny_ | /ng_, however this ignores polysyllabic words such as deworn-a because for /rn_, the allomorph should be -na.
Any ideas as to how I can do this without defining the syllable structure of the entire lexicon? Thanks in advance!
Daniel
Kevin Warfel
Daniel,
Have you tried something like this as the first allomorph of the suffix?
Allomorph: a
Environment: /[V^1][C^1]([C^2])([C^3])([C^4])[V^2][C^5]([C^6])_
This assumes that the key factor is the presence of two syllable nuclei (V#1 and V#2), with a mandatory consonant (C#1) between the vowels and another mandatory consonant (C#5 in my formula) at the end of the stem. I’m not sure how many optional consonants can occur in those same two positions in Wagiman.
You’d then have to list the other allomorphs and their environments as subsequent allomorphs in the entry for this suffix.
Kevin
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