morphological alternations at the intonational phrase edge

this article develops an analysis of a pair of morphological alternations in k’ichee’ (mayan) that are conditioned at the right edge of intonational phrase boundaries. i propose a syntax-prosody mapping algorithm that derives intonational phrase boundaries from the surface syntax, and then argue that each alternation can be understood in terms of output optimization (mascaró 2007; mester 1994). the important fact is that k’ichee’ requires a prominence peak rightmost in the intonational phrase, and so the morphological alternations occur in order to ensure an optimal host for this prominence peak. finally, i consider the wider implications of the analysis for the architecture of the syntax-phonology interface, especially as it concerns late-insertion theories of morphology (anderson 1982, 1992; embick and noyer 2001; halle and marantz 1993; hayes 1990, among others). the primary result is that late lexical insertion must occur at least as late as the construction of intonational phrases.