On the Integrity of Geminates in Moroccan Arabic: An Optimality-Theoretic Account

Abstract : This paper investigates the phonological behavior of geminate consonants in Moroccan Arabic. In particular, we focus on the issue of geminate integrity in the context of schwa epenthesis and word formation. We show that, despite the many apparent exceptions, the variable nature of geminate integrity in MA can be successfully accounted for along the lines of the Geminate Law (Benhallam, 1980) if the latter is reinterpreted in the Optimality Theory framework. In this regard, this paper promises the following contributions: (i) It provides a unified analysis of geminate integrity in MA (ii) It accounts for the variability of geminate integrity through constraint interactions la Optimality Theory (iii) It reconciles the exceptional patterns of geminate integrity with the regular ones.