On the Mental Representation of Arabic Roots

TLDR

Arabic consonantal roots are hypothesized to be morphemic units, supported by evidence from aphasic subjects and hypocoristic formation cases. The study aimed to test whether inaudible glides in weak Arabic roots resurface in metathesis and template selection errors. Data were collected through a new series of experiments with the same aphasic subject. The results confirm that Arabic consonantal roots function as abstract morphemic units rather than surface phonetic units.

Abstract

In Prunet, Béland, and Idrissi 2000, we presented evidence from an aphasic subject that argued for the morphemic status of Arabic consonantal roots. We predicted that inaudible glides in weak roots should resurface in metathesis and template selection errors, but at the time the relevant data were unattested. Here, we present such data, obtained from a new series of experiments with the same aphasic subject. Arabic hypocoristic formation offers another case of glide resurfacing. Both sources of data confirm that Arabic consonantal roots are abstract morphemic units rather than surface phonetic units.