Shortening and anastrophe in the Homeric dialect

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between shortening and anastrophe in Homeric Greek. Such phenomena involve the exploration of elision, assimi-lation and proclisis, as related processes affecting a small set of expressions, mainly of prepositional value. Prosodic morphology is invoked to deal with the conditions governing shortening (called apocope in tradition). Three environments of anastrophe (supposed to be the preservation of the orthotony of prepositions in post-lexical phonology) are characterized with the admission of empty categories in syntax as well as in phonological representation. Proclisis is understood as a default process associated with post-lexical anteposition.