On Subcategorization and PRIORITY: Evidence from Welsh Allomorphy

This thesis examines the phonologically conditioned suppletive allomorphy (PCSA) of the definite article in Welsh and initial consonant mutations. The analysis of these patterns shows that Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky 2004[1993]), with the addition of Lexical Selection’s use of priority relationship and lexical subcategorization (Mascaró 2007; Bonet et al. 2007) and Prosodic Subcategorization (Inkelas 1990, 1993; Zec 2005; Bye 2007; Bennett et al. 2018; Tyler 2019), can account for the distribution of the definite article allomorphs and their interaction with the rest of the grammar as well as the behavior of Welsh initial consonant mutations contrary to Hannahs & Tallerman (2006). The analysis further argues for an expansion of prosodic subcategorization to include allomorph-specific subcategorization frames in light of the Welsh definite article. Additionally, this thesis makes the argument against a purely morphological subcategorization approach to phonologically conditioned allomorphy, contrary to the claims of Paster (2009, 2015).

| Bibtex | Thesis |

Recommended citation:

Brinkerhoff, Mykel L. 2019. On Subcategorization and PRIORITY: Evidence from Welsh Allomorphy. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC MA Thesis. https://doi.org/10.17615/td9g-v269.