158 3 Phonology/e-m-aeqrV/ (where V represents either hi or IAJ) and VblN /a-fsyki/. This
underlying penultimate accent is consistent with the surface penultimate accent
of C-final agentives and VblN's. In the problematic plurals, it appears that the
VV-Contraction (39.b) of hi or /A/ with the suffixal vowel (MaPl -aen) forces
erasure of the marked accent, even though this accent is on the preceding
syllable, which is otherwise unaffected by the contraction. There is no
comparable erasure in agentives or VblN's based on C-final stems.
In summary, the 3FeSg definite relatives of type 0-taett for -vCCu- verbs,
and the plurals of agentives and VblN's for V-final verbs including -vCCi>,
have the following in common: 1) a V seen in the Sg is zeroed or desyllabified
(though by different rules: Stem-Final i/A-Deletion (29), VV-Contraction
(39.b), Desyllabification, Syncope), and 2) the marked accent (i.e. an ablaut
formative of type χ) is simultaneously zeroed, resulting in default (including,
if necessary, phrasal) accent. If we interpret the erasure of accent in these two
cases as reflecting the same basic process, and seek to unify them into a single
rule, we must disregard the suggestion made earlier that (for the 3FeSg subject
definite relatives only) the accent erasure may be an unintended consequence
of the zeroing of the V that should have carried the accent. Instead, we need a
more abstract morphophonological rule (136).
(136) χ-Erasure
An ablaut χ (accent) formative is erased...
a. ... when a heavy V-final VblN or Agent nominal with χ-pen
contracts its stem-final V with a PI suffix (combinable with
Lexical Accent Erasure, below).
b. ... where an ablaut accent χ-pcl appears on a stem-final
deletable V {III or I Al), as this V is deleted or contracts
with a suffixal V (the only relevant cases are 3FeSg
LoImpfP verbs and participles in definite relatives)There are some additional nouns with marked lexical accent in the Sg that
is erased in the suffixal PI. This happens in several cases, whose common
feature is the deletion of a stem V (not the accented one) in connection with
addition of the PI suffix, either MaPl -asn or FePl -en. Consider (137).
(137) Lexical Accent Erasure in Nominal Plurals
singular plural glossa. desyllabification of high vowel (only known examples)
elu
esuelw-an
esw-an'elephant'
'bull'