Implications of Axininca Campa for prosodic morphology and reduplication.

Abstract

This dissertation examines Axininca Campa within the tenets of the emerging theory of Prosodic Morphology. Axininca reduplication can only be formalized as a process where the prosodic word is built on the verbal base and duplicated. Thus Axininca shows that the prosodic word is a legitimate base of morphology, contrary to earlier views which allow only the foot as the base. The properties of the output of reduplication in Axininca show that no affix is required in formalizing Axininca reduplication; this finding refutes previous models which standardly assume that an affix is required as a formal component of reduplication. Comparing reduplication in other languages with that in Axininca reveals that copy is the only necessary component of 'reduplication'; an affix and/or prosodic base are each possible but are not obligatory. In examining the cases of reduplication formalized with and without a prosodic base, a new formalization of copy as a base dependent process is set forth. When a prosodic base is selected, copy of the base consists of copy of that prosodic constituent and all subordinate elements; the result is that the reduplicant displays quantity transfer. When no prosodic base is selected the segments of the base alone copy and the reduplicant therefore does not display quantity transfer. The model reported here predicts four sub-types of reduplication in language: (1) -affix, -prosodic base, (2) -affix, +prosodic base, (3) +affix, -prosodic base, (4) +affix, +prosodic base. Each type of reduplication in 1-4 is predicted to display specific empirical properties converging on the base and the reduplicant, thus resulting in a very testable theory. Whenever a prosodic base is selected the base of reduplication must meet prosodic requirements and at the same time the reduplicant will display base transfer; when no affix is also selected (as in 2) the reduplicant will surface as an identical copy of the prosody and segments of the base. When an affix is selected the redupilcant must conform to the prosodic specifications of the affix. When neither an affix nor base is selected all the segments of the morphological base copy.