Approaching phonological data from the standpoint of Emergent Grammar (EG) minimizes the role of Universal Grammar. EG takes a “bottom-up” approach to analysis, positing representations and both lexical and phonological relations among representations. This paper explores tonal alternations resulting from morpheme concatenation in Margi (Hoffmann 1963). These patterns show many properties associated with both autosegmental and more general behaviors: many-to-one association, one-to-many association, melodies, polarity, iterativity. The essence of our approach is to derive the relevant properties from constraints holding of actually occurring allomorphs. That is, no abstract “underlying representations” are posited. Surface-based phonotactics and morphological selectional requirements govern the patterns of allomorphs observed on the surface. In Margi, three surface phonotactics – a strong prohibition on HL sequences, a weak prohibition on LH sequences, and a restriction limiting contours to monosyllabic words – govern tonal patterns on morphemes with level H, level L, rising and changing tone patterns. Selectional requirements govern tonal polarity in Margi as well.

Individual Papers no. 64