Je ll’ai vu: Perception-driven allomorphic optimization of French l’

Abstract This article aims to explain the optional gemination in the elided form of the French 3rd p. object pronouns le and la, i.e. before vowel, as in [ʒəllɛvy] for je l’ai vu(e) ‘I saw him/her/it’. This geminate, which cannot be accounted for in purely phonological terms, is shown to follow from a boundary shift within the morphological sequence /il+lə/la+V/, providing the 3rd p. object pronouns with a new geminate allomorph before vowel; thereby, /ll/ can spread to the entire paradigm. It is argued (a) that the resulting allomorphy is the strategy found by speakers to eliminate the irregular allomorphy of the 3rd p. subject pronoun il before consonant; (b) that a perception grammar is needed to capture the reasons for the new allomorphy.