The Morphophonological Processes in Takestani Tati Dialect Prefixes: An Optimality Theory Approach

The present study was an attempt to investigate the Morphophonological Prefixes and processes in Takestan Tati Dialect on the basis of Optimality theory. Morphophonological processes are phonological changes occurring in a morphological context, those changes happening among morphemes, and are phonologically governed. The research was analytical and the data were collected from Tati books and local media. Data were then analysed on the basis of relevant phonological and lexical process. The results illustrated that in Tati both elision and insertion processes happen in morphological borders, highlighting conspiracy in this language. However, elision has a higher rank in the hierarchy and any violation of it renders the output optimally unacceptable. In the same vain, this study concluded that the universally- ranked constraints also apply to Tati and the constraints in Tati dialect were in line with the universal ones.It is hoped, the present study could add to the linguistic scope and knowledge of scholars, acquainting the researchers more with Morphophonological processes of Tati dialect and its adaptation to the universalities of this realm.