Lenition in Hessian: cluster reduction and ‘subtractive plurals’

Abstract

Recent work by Golston & Wiese (1996), in the framework of Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky 1993, hereafter OT) has provided an new analysis of a set of unusual plural formations in Hessian German. Hessian, on the surface, appears to exhibit a case of what has been termed ‘subtractive’ plural marking; that is, a word-final segment is deleted in certain cases in the plural form of the noun (Hessian hond,hon ‘dog’, ‘dogs’). Other data from Hessian and related dialects, however, show widespread and regular assimilation of the same obstruent clusters in medial position. For example, /nd/ clusters are realized medially as [n:] or [n] in Hessian words like [finən] ‘to find’ or [unər] ‘under’. The behavior of medial and final /nd/, /ld/, /rg/, /ŋg/ clusters and postvocalic /g/ in various dialects provides evidence of intermediate stages of a development which can be more accurately captured in a synchronic analysis that sees lenition as central to the development of ‘subtractive plurals’. These data lead us to conclude that ‘subtractive plural’ formation is the result of an independent phonological process which operates without regard to morphological category.

We would like to thank Rob Howell, Greg Iverson, Monica Macaulay, Marcy Macken, and especially Joe Salmons, for their comments and help with this paper. Additional thanks go to participants at MCWOP 2 who offered their commentary on this paper and to Richard Wiese for his constructive criticism. We are solely responsible for any errors.