The end of the verb is nigh: A convergence of domains in Tłı chǫ Yatıì

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: phonology; morphology; Athabaskan; Dogrib (Oral presentation; Dogrib
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.407.9222; http://www.cunyphonologyforum.net/WORDABSTRACTS/word-namedabstracts/welch.pdf

long, morphologically complex verbs, various phenomena serve to make the verb-final monosyllabic stem perceptually prominent. I show that her analysis applies with greater force to the neighbouring, closely related Tłı chǫ Yatıì (Dogrib). The right periphery of the Tłı chǫ Yatıì verb has a constituent consisting of the stem and pre-stem syllable, as in (1). McDonough (1999) and Rice identify this constituent in Navajo and Hare respectively. McDonough considers it a p-word, Rice a foot. I adduce strong phonological and phonetic evidence that in Tłı chǫ Yatıì it is a head foot aligned with the morphological stem at the right edge of the verb-word. 2. Rice’s analysis of Hare. Rice shows that there is a cluster of phenomena that operate only in the word-final environment, including epenthesis, tenseness assimilation, lexical tone realization and stress. She concludes that the domain of these processes is a verb-final trochaic foot. 3. My proposal. In Tłı chǫ Yatıì, I argue, several phonological processes increase the salience of the stem and pre-stem syllables. I suggest that these phenomena arise from constraints that define the p- structure of Tłı chǫ Yatıì verbs and require a perceptually salient word-final iambic foot. 4. Evidence in Tłı chǫ Yatıì. The following phonological processes occur uniquely in the stem and pre-stem syllables of the Tłı chǫ Yatıì verb.