An Optimality-Theoretic Analysis of -akun- Dummy Infixation: A Secret Language in the Kenitra Dialect

Abstract

This paper investigates the pattern of -akun- dummy infixation in a secret language of the Kenitra dialect adopting the framework of Optimality Theory. Since previous studies on secret languages in Morocco have focused on the sociolinguistic aspects, this paper attempts to analyze this secret language from a different viewpoint. To our knowledge, this Secret Language has escaped the notice of Moroccan linguists to implement any phonological theory to account for the infixation pattern. Consequently, we show the shortcomings of traditional approaches regarding the location of the infix. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the dummy infix is consistently epenthesized before the vowel of the stem and not after the first or second consonant in the onset position of the stem based on the interaction of constraints. In conclusion, we fill the theoretical gap in the literature on secret languages in Moroccan Arabic.