Reduplication with fixed segmentism

Fixed segmentism is the phenomenon whereby a reduplicative morpheme contain s segments that are invariant rather than copied. We investigate it within Optimality Theory, arguing that. it falls into two distinct types, phonolog ical and morphological. Phonological fixed segmentism is analyzed under the OT rubric of emergence of the unmarked. It therefore has significant conne ctions to markedness theory, sharing properties with other domains where ma rkedness is relevant and showing context-dependence. In contrast, morpholog ical fixed segmentism is a kind of affixation, and so it resembles affixing morphology generally. The two types are contrasted, and claims about impos sible patterns of fixed segmentism are developed.