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The Repeated Morph Constraint: Toward an Explanation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2026

Lise Menn  and
Brian MacWhinney
Lise Menn
Affiliation:
Boston University
Brian MacWhinney
Affiliation:
Carnegie-Mellon University
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Abstract

Many languages use haplology, suppletion, and the blocking of derivations to achieve avoidance of ‘accidental’ repetition of surface morphs. At the same time, many languages permit accidental repetition and even encourage ‘deliberate’ repetition through reduplication. Strong universal constraints against morph repetition therefore fail. This furthermore implies the inadequacy of accounts of morphological processes in terms of matching templates or schemas. We present a psycholinguistic processing model built on evidence from language acquisition, and drawing on activation theory, which affords a unification of the linguistic data while allowing for their variety.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Language , Volume 60 , Issue 3 , September 1984 , pp. 519 - 541
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 by Linguistic Society of America

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