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In:Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics XXX: Papers from the annual symposia on Arabic Linguistics, Stony Brook, New York, 2016 and Norman, Oklahoma, 2017
Edited by Amel Khalfaoui and Matthew A. Tucker
[Studies in Arabic Linguistics 7] 2019
► pp. 7–32

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 | University of Massachusetts Amherst
Published online: 8 July 2019
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https://doi.org/10.1075/sal.7.02mcc
Using data from Arabic and other languages, this chapter argues that segmental deletion processes are gradual in the sense that segments are lost through attrition rather than all at once. The argument is framed within Harmonic Serialism, a derivational version of Optimality Theory that allows deletion processes to be decomposed into successive reduction steps.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.About Harmonic Serialism
  • 3.Deletion as gradual reduction: An example
  • 4.Discussion
  • 5.Structure and deletability
  • 6.Deletion of fuller segments implies deletion of more reduced segments
  • 7.Every deletion context is also a reduction context
  • 8.Consequence: Segments have internal structure
  • 9.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgment
  • Notes
  • References
References (87)
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