A usage-based analysis of the allomorphy of the Italian masculine definite article

Abstract

Within standard generative phonology, the distribution of the allomorphs of the Italian masculine definite article has been related strictly to features of the initial segment/cluster of the lexical item following the article. Two main drawbacks characterize such analysis. First, they crucially depend on abstract principles, which are not applied in a very insightful and empirically convincing fashion. Second, they cannot explain the (inter- and intra-) individual variation in the selection of the allomorphs or the changes in their distributional pattern. Conversely, an analysis based on the usage-based framework proposed by Bybee (2001) allows for a more straightforward and unified account of the distribution of the allomorphs and offers new insight to the issues of change and individual variation.