Computational Restrictions on Iterative Prosodic Processes

Abstract

We demonstrate a computational restriction on iterative prosody in phonology by using logical transductions. We show that the typology is fundamentally local but requires output recursion, formulated via quantifier-free transductions and least-fixed-point operators, respectively. We focus on two case studies from iterative prosody. One is iterative secondary stress. The other is more complex: iterative syllabification and epenthesis in Arabic dialects. The second case study involves formalizing Ito (1989)'s analysis of directional syllabification.