Lexical Conservatism in French Adjectival Liaison

Abstract

Introduction The object of this study are the phonological mechanisms that signal lexical relations. To indicate that a form is closely related to another, in semantic content or morphosyntactic function, speakers employ similarities of phonological shape. For instance a nonce word like aspiratory ["oespIrtori] will be interpreted as related to spirate, not to aspre; and conversely [s"paIrtori] will convey a lexical connection to aspre, not spirate. Phonological similarity to a known form is used to guide the interpretation of the unfamiliar one. There is now growing consensus on the nature of the phonological mechanisms that have this signalling function. First, a number of phonologists have argued that it is the similarity between surface forms that is being manipulated (Benua 1995, Burzio 1994, Flemming 1995, Kenstowicz 1996, McCarthy and Prince 1995, Steriade 1996). Second, the

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