Morphological structure and phonological domains in Spanish denominal derivation

Bermúdez-Otero, R

Morphological structure and phonological domains in Spanish denominal derivation

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Ricardo Bermudez-Otero

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Abstract

In Spanish denominal derivation, the stem formative of the base typically disappears before the derivational suffix: e.g. man-o 'hand', man-az-a 'hand.AUG', *man-o-az-a. This pattern can be analysed in two ways: as driven by a morphotactic restriction, or as created by a morphophonological process of stem-final vowel deletion. James Harris and his followers have consistently assumed the former. Stratal OT, however, requires the latter, for otherwise the interaction between diphthongization and depalatalization gives rise to a stratification paradox. Independent morphological evidence provides support for stem-final vowel deletion. Stratal OT emerges from this trial as an empirically adequate, highly restrictive, and heuristically powerful model of grammar.