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Phonological Restrictions on Lenition in Scottish Gaelic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Michael Hammond ,
Yan Chen ,
Elise Bell ,
Andrew Carnie ,
Diana Archangeli ,
Adam Ussishkin  and
Muriel Fisher
Michael Hammond*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
Yan Chen*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
Elise Bell*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
Andrew Carnie*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
Diana Archangeli*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
Adam Ussishkin*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
Muriel Fisher*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
*
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 [hammond@u.arizona.edu] (Hammond), [yanchen@email.arizona.edu] (Chen), [elisebell@email.arizona.edu] (Bell), [carnie@email.arizona.edu] (Carnie), [dba@email.arizona.edu] (Archangeli), [ussishki@email.arizona.edu] (Ussishkin), [murielf@email.arizona.edu] (Fisher)
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 [hammond@u.arizona.edu] (Hammond), [yanchen@email.arizona.edu] (Chen), [elisebell@email.arizona.edu] (Bell), [carnie@email.arizona.edu] (Carnie), [dba@email.arizona.edu] (Archangeli), [ussishki@email.arizona.edu] (Ussishkin), [murielf@email.arizona.edu] (Fisher)
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 [hammond@u.arizona.edu] (Hammond), [yanchen@email.arizona.edu] (Chen), [elisebell@email.arizona.edu] (Bell), [carnie@email.arizona.edu] (Carnie), [dba@email.arizona.edu] (Archangeli), [ussishki@email.arizona.edu] (Ussishkin), [murielf@email.arizona.edu] (Fisher)
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 [hammond@u.arizona.edu] (Hammond), [yanchen@email.arizona.edu] (Chen), [elisebell@email.arizona.edu] (Bell), [carnie@email.arizona.edu] (Carnie), [dba@email.arizona.edu] (Archangeli), [ussishki@email.arizona.edu] (Ussishkin), [murielf@email.arizona.edu] (Fisher)
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 [hammond@u.arizona.edu] (Hammond), [yanchen@email.arizona.edu] (Chen), [elisebell@email.arizona.edu] (Bell), [carnie@email.arizona.edu] (Carnie), [dba@email.arizona.edu] (Archangeli), [ussishki@email.arizona.edu] (Ussishkin), [murielf@email.arizona.edu] (Fisher)
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 [hammond@u.arizona.edu] (Hammond), [yanchen@email.arizona.edu] (Chen), [elisebell@email.arizona.edu] (Bell), [carnie@email.arizona.edu] (Carnie), [dba@email.arizona.edu] (Archangeli), [ussishki@email.arizona.edu] (Ussishkin), [murielf@email.arizona.edu] (Fisher)
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 [hammond@u.arizona.edu] (Hammond), [yanchen@email.arizona.edu] (Chen), [elisebell@email.arizona.edu] (Bell), [carnie@email.arizona.edu] (Carnie), [dba@email.arizona.edu] (Archangeli), [ussishki@email.arizona.edu] (Ussishkin), [murielf@email.arizona.edu] (Fisher)
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Abstract

There has been extraordinary attention devoted to the Celtic mutations over the years, with various authors arguing for phonological, morphological, or lexical treatments (and various blends thereof). Strikingly, this literature is virtually bereft of any mention of the phonological restrictions that can sometimes limit the applicability of mutation. In this article, we provide a detailed experimental and corpus-based investigation of the phonological restrictions on Scottish Gaelic mutation. Using both techniques, we show that the phonological restrictions are alive yet are in a state of flux. The continued productivity of these phonological aspects of the mutation system argues that any analysis of mutation must attend to them.

Keywords

mutationlenitionScottish GaelicCelticphonologymorphology

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Language , Volume 93 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 446 - 472
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 Linguistic Society of America

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