Similar and differing patterns of allomorphy in the Spanish and Portuguese verbs

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the different patterns of stem allomorphy in the Spanish and Portuguese verbs and the best way to capture these patterns. It presents synchronic and diachronic evidence along with theoretical arguments to claim that the present tense system of both languages is organized around a number of purely morphological structures, or morphomes (in the sense of Maiden, 2005; inspired by Aronoff, 1994); sets of paradigmatic cells which share a common form but no coherent grammatical/semantic property. The allomorphy in these morphomes cannot be derived in terms of phonology or semantics, but by simple morphological stipulation. This conclusion lends support to the need for a morphomic level in the grammar, one that is intermediate between form and meaning.