The plural suffix of adjectives and nouns in Tigre


 The plural suffix in nouns and adjectives in Tigre has three distinct surface forms: a VC syllable, -at/-am; a CVC syllable, -jat/-jam, and a second CVC syllable, -tat/-tam. In this paper we argue that the suffix has a single underlying form, and it manifests predictably based on the final syllable of the stem. This paper provides an account for this behavior in the framework of Optimality Theory, arguing for an underlying VC representation. Additionally, we show that the different forms of the plural suffix are at least partially motivated. Our analysis reveals a conspiracy to preserve superheavy CVVC syllables when possible, along with an emergence of the unmarked effect regarding syllabification.