Proceedings

Root-and-Pattern Morphology and Initial Consonant Mutation: Are They Really Two Different Phenomena?

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Abstract

This paper investigates whether it is possible to subsume two examples of nonconcatenative morphology under a single approach that maintains strict modularity. By examining Irish Initial Consonant Mutation and Moroccan Arabic Root-and-Pattern Morphology, this paper demonstrates that both phenomena can be accounted for within a purely concatenative morphological framework, in which the nonconcatenative effects follow from language-general phonology. This paper argues that morphophonological Alignment constraints are not needed to accurately derive the Moroccan Arabic causative Root-and-Pattern alternation. The resulting analysis argues for a phonological grammar that relies solely on phonological constraints. It is argued that morpheme placement and allomorph selection are uniquely part of the post-syntactic morphological module. With respect to Irish, the present paper argues against the traditional trigger-word approach to Initial Consonant Mutation. The analysis of Irish verbal Eclipsis shows that the mutation has an inherent morphological function and is not simply a phonological reflex of a particular morphophonological environment. Taken together, these two case studies demonstrate that nonconcatenative morphology, far from being language-specific phenomena, are simply the result of phonological optimization of prosodically deficient morphological exponents.

Keywords: Nonconcatenative Morphology, Irish, Moroccan Arabic, Initial Consonant Mutation, Root-and-Pattern Morphology, Morphosyntax-Phonology Interface

How to Cite:

Pruett, J., (2026) “Root-and-Pattern Morphology and Initial Consonant Mutation: Are They Really Two Different Phenomena?”, Proceedings of the Annual Meetings on Phonology 2(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/amphonology.3722