Question

An apostrophe s (s) is typically used to express possessive inflection (also known as genitive
case) in writing. The data below shows that, in spoken language, this morpheme can be
realised with many different sounds. List the different allomorphs (variant pronunciations)
of the possessive morpheme and the environments in which they occur. Decide which
variant makes the best underlying representation and propose rules to derive the other
surface forms.
Answer
(1) Analysis of possessive s starts with looking at the following data to distinguish the
allomorphs.
1 [ik] Rick [bout] Boat [reif] Rafe
2 [iksnout] Ricks note [boutsnout] Boats note [reifsnout] Rafes note
3 [keg] Keg [ted] Ted [di:n] Dean
4 [kegznout] Kegs note [tedznout] Teds note [di:nznout] Deans note
5 [li:] Lee [bou] Bo [Kauw] Cow
6 [li:znout] Lees note [bouznout] Bos note [kauwznout] Cows note
7 [t:t] Church [wez] Wes [kaz] Kaz
8 [t:tznout] Churchs note [wezznout] Wess note [kazznout] Kazs note
(2) The preliminary graphical allomorph findings are:

(3) The phonological environments for each allomorph are shown below.
(a) k, t, f [s] following voiceless consonants (one environment)
(b) g, d, n, i, ou, aw [z] following voiced consonants and vowels (two environments)
(c) t, z, s *z+ following sibilants* (one environment)
(*sibilants = /s, z, , , t, d/)
(4) Finding shown in (3) are graphical formulated below:

If the three allomorphs, [z] makes the best underlying representation since it occurs in two
environments: after voiced consonants, as in Kegs note *kegznout+ and vowels as in Lees
note *li:znout+. The other two allomorphs *s+ and *z+ only occur in one environment.
(5) Phonological Rules
(a) Insertion: /z/ ---> *z+ / *sibilants+ ___#
(b) Assimilation*: /z/ ---> [s] / [voiceless consonants] ___# (*Devoicing)
To demonstrate that the rules in (5) derive the allomorphs of possessive s (s), (6), (7), and
(8), show phonological derivation for each of the three allomorphs.
(6) Derivation of Kegs
(a) Underlying representation: /keg/ + /z/
(b) Insertion: does not apply
(c) Assimilation: does not apply
(d) Surface representation: [kegz]
(7) Derivation of Churchs
(a) Underlying representation: /t:t/ +/z/
(b) Insertion: *t:tz]
(c) Assimilation: does not apply
(d) Surface representation: *t:tz]
(8) Derivation of Rafes
(a) Underlying representation: /reif/ + /z/
(b) Insertion: does not apply
(c) Assimilation*: [reifs] (*Devoicing z ---> s)
(d) Surface representation: [reifs]

Copyright Robert Mijas 2011