Temiar Reduplication in One-Level Prosodic Morphology

TL;DR

This paper introduces the first computational model of Temiar reduplication using One-Level Prosodic Morphology, demonstrating its effectiveness in handling complex prosodic phenomena through finite-state methods.

Contribution

It applies a novel finite-state approach to analyze Temiar reduplication, highlighting the flexibility of regular expression operators in prosodic morphology.

Findings

Finite-state model successfully captures Temiar reduplication patterns

Regular expression operators enable flexible scanning directions

The approach provides an elegant account of base-length-dependent reduplication

Abstract

Temiar reduplication is a difficult piece of prosodic morphology. This paper presents the first computational analysis of Temiar reduplication, using the novel finite-state approach of One-Level Prosodic Morphology originally developed by Walther (1999b, 2000). After reviewing both the data and the basic tenets of One-level Prosodic Morphology, the analysis is laid out in some detail, using the notation of the FSA Utilities finite-state toolkit (van Noord 1997). One important discovery is that in this approach one can easily define a regular expression operator which ambiguously scans a string in the left- or rightward direction for a certain prosodic property. This yields an elegant account of base-length-dependent triggering of reduplication as found in Temiar.