# Analogy in Contact: Modeling Maltese Plural Inflection

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12276 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.12276/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 20 May 2023.

## Abstract (arXiv)

Maltese is often described as having a hybrid morphological system resulting from extensive contact between Semitic and Romance language varieties. Such a designation reflects an etymological divide as much as it does a larger tradition in the literature to consider concatenative and non-concatenative morphological patterns as distinct in the language architecture. Using a combination of computational modeling and information theoretic methods, we quantify the extent to which the phonology and etymology of a Maltese singular noun may predict the morphological process (affixal vs. templatic) as well as the specific plural allomorph (affix or template) relating a singular noun to its associated plural form(s) in the lexicon. The results indicate phonological pressures shape the organization of the Maltese lexicon with predictive power that extends beyond that of a word's etymology, in line with analogical theories of language change in contact.