Empty Consonants in Root-medial Position

Abstract

Broselow 1995 notes that “all of [the cases of empty onset slots in stems] involve empty C slots in the initial (never internal) position of a stem” (p. 196). She cites the analysis of Seri found in Marlett and Stemberger 1983, in which verbs with empty consonants in stem-initial position are presented. In this brief note, I present some facts which I believe could be or should be analyzed with root-internal empty slots. These facts contribute more evidence of empty onsets, which Broselow notes are predicted not to exist by moraic theory.