Analogy in Contact: Modeling Maltese Plural Inflection

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12276v1
• Date: Sat, 20 May 2023 20:16:57 GMT
• Title: Analogy in Contact: Modeling Maltese Plural Inflection
• Authors: Sara Court, Andrea D. Sims, and Micha Elsner
• Abstract summary: We quantify the extent to which the phonology and etymology of a Maltese singular noun may predict the morphological process. The results indicate phonological pressures shape the organization of the Maltese lexicon with predictive power.
• Score: 4.83828446399992
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Maltese is often described as having a hybrid morphological system resulting from extensive contact between Semitic and Romance language varieties. Such a designation reflects an etymological divide as much as it does a larger tradition in the literature to consider concatenative and non-concatenative morphological patterns as distinct in the language architecture. Using a combination of computational modeling and information theoretic methods, we quantify the extent to which the phonology and etymology of a Maltese singular noun may predict the morphological process (affixal vs. templatic) as well as the specific plural allomorph (affix or template) relating a singular noun to its associated plural form(s) in the lexicon. The results indicate phonological pressures shape the organization of the Maltese lexicon with predictive power that extends beyond that of a word's etymology, in line with analogical theories of language change in contact.

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