In recent years, the phonology - morphology
interface has been a topic of considerable interest
in theoretical linguistics. This book represents a
contribution to the study of this interface. Couched
in the framework of Optimality Theory, it explores
the correlation between grammatical markedness and
the phonological properties of outputs inflected for
morpho-syntactic categories on a grammatical
markedness hierarchy. The main claim made in the
book is that, under otherwise similar phonological
conditions, outputs carrying specifications for a
marked member of a given grammatical category can
license a given type of marked phonological
structure to an extent that is equal or greater than
outputs inflected for the unmarked category.
Illustrations are provided for the morpho-syntactic
categories of case (Old Saxon), number (Romanian)
and voice (Mayak). The book is mainly intended for
theoretical linguists, researchers and graduate
students, but may also present interest for a larger
circle of readers.
interface has been a topic of considerable interest
in theoretical linguistics. This book represents a
contribution to the study of this interface. Couched
in the framework of Optimality Theory, it explores
the correlation between grammatical markedness and
the phonological properties of outputs inflected for
morpho-syntactic categories on a grammatical
markedness hierarchy. The main claim made in the
book is that, under otherwise similar phonological
conditions, outputs carrying specifications for a
marked member of a given grammatical category can
license a given type of marked phonological
structure to an extent that is equal or greater than
outputs inflected for the unmarked category.
Illustrations are provided for the morpho-syntactic
categories of case (Old Saxon), number (Romanian)
and voice (Mayak). The book is mainly intended for
theoretical linguists, researchers and graduate
students, but may also present interest for a larger
circle of readers.