German Glide Formation converts /i/ to [j] before vowels, e.g. 
‘Spain’, but the rule is consistently blocked in neologisms containing the suffix –esk, e.g. hippiesk [hrpiɛsk] / *[hrpjɛsk]. It is argued below that the underapplication of Glide Formation in such examples follows from a requirement that the stem in a derived word must be identical to the unaffixed base. The base in such examples will be shown to be a free-standing morpheme as opposed to a bound root. The analysis proposed will be shown to be supported in additional examples in which Glide Formation is blocked from applying to the [i] preceding the suffix –aner, but only if the suffix follows a free-standing morpheme, e.g. 
‘adherent of Schumi (Michael Schumacher)’.
© Mouton de Gruyter – Societas Linguistica Europaea
