Introducing Morphology

In this chapter we consider the interaction of morphology and phonology. We begin with a look at allomorphy, distinguishing predictible allomorphy, partially predictable allomorphy, and idiosyncratic or unpredictable allomorphy. Students learn to look for phonological rules that create predictable allomorphy. Students are introduced to the ways in which the syllable structure of a language can interact with its morphology. Students are also introduced to the idea of lexical strata, looking at differences in behavior between various English derivational affixes. This chapter also includes a ‘how to’ section on analyzing morphologically induced phonological rules.