Proceedings

Tonal Exchange via Subcategorizing Floating Tones: Modeling Two Kinds of Flip-flop in Khoekhoe

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Abstract

What is a natural (morpho)phonological alternation and what is unnatural and perhaps underivable? This question forms the backdrop for exploring exchange, whereby [F] → [G] but in this same context [G] → [F] (also called toggling, reversals, or polarity). Recently, de Lacy (2020) sketches two analyses to capture exchange. The first assumes a dedicated exchange mechanism (e.g. Transderivational Antifaithfulness, or [αF]-rules), while the second derives exchange through independently motivated components (whether through representations, the grammar, or their combination). We support this second position, examining a process of tonal exchange in Khoekhoe. Briefly, causative reduplication triggers a kind of ‘flip-flop’ whereby stems without a mid tone add one (e.g. L → LM) but stems with one delete it (e.g. LM → L). We analyze tonal exchange as due to a floating mid endowed with a prosodic subcategorization frame requiring it be stem-external, i.e. ‘}_Σ Ⓜ’. Causative Ⓜ triggers delinking of stem M, but crucially stem M is not deleted and remains phonologically active (assuming Containment). Later, delinked M prevents causative Ⓜ from prosodically incorporating, and the ultimately result is unlinking causative Ⓜ (‘mutual dissimilation’). In total, we demonstrate that tonal exchange can be derived without a dedicated exchange mechanism.

Keywords: Exchange, Polarity, Tone, Floating tone, Subcategorization, Dissimilation, Naturalness

How to Cite:

Rolle, N., (2026) “Tonal Exchange via Subcategorizing Floating Tones: Modeling Two Kinds of Flip-flop in Khoekhoe”, Proceedings of the Annual Meetings on Phonology 2(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/amphonology.3635