Hiatus resolution between function and lexical words in French and Italian

Abstract

From a crosslinguistic perspective, heterosyllabic vowels sequences across word boundaries tend to be resolved to create unmarked CV syllables. Building on previous accounts and quantitative data, this study investigates the phonological and morphological factors determining hiatus resolution in French and Italian. Hiatuses in sequences of function and lexical words are categorically resolved in standard French through the application of elision, liaison , and allomorphic alternations, while they may be resolved obligatorily, frequently, or rarely through elision in Florentine Italian. French elision, liaison , and allomorphic alternations are constrained by phonology, while Italian elision is partially subject to phonological conditioning and partially subject to conjoint phonological and morphological conditioning.