The Phonology of Contrast - Anna Łubowicz
Morphological contrast
The Phonology of Contrast - Anna Łubowicz
Anna Lubowicz
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Description
This chapter extends the proposal to morphological contrast by investigating the role of contrast in the surface distribution of allomorphs. The case study is allomorph distribution in the locative of masculine and neuter nouns in Polish. It is shown that locative allomorph distribution is opaque and can be accounted for in terms of preserving contrast. The key idea is that the different allomorphs of the locative suffix keep apart forms that the regular phonology would otherwise neutralize. This contributes to our understanding of opaque allomorphy and the role of contrast.