Maltese plurals : evidence from a nonce word experiment

Abstract

This study explores the learnability of plural forms in Maltese through a nonce word experiment. Participants were presented with 90 nonce words, constructed by modifying consonants, vowels, or both of existing Maltese nouns. The experiment aimed to assess whether phonotactic cues and frequency influence the selection of sound or broken plurals. Findings indicate that vowel-modified nonce words were more likely to receive broken plurals, while consonant-modified forms tended towards sound plurals. These results suggest that native speakers can generalize plural formation rules based on phonotactic patterns, supporting a learning mechanism that relies on surface structure rather than abstract templates.