Struttura X-barra nei segmenti: la rappresentazione della lenizione

The article concerns some developments of Element Theory that extend X-bar theory to the realm of phonology in order to represent the internal structure of segments.While maintaining some fundamental assumptions of Element D-Sub/Serial Theory concerning the nature of melodic primes, these models propose a radically different conception of the segment and of larger phonological domains compared to autosegmentalist approaches.The article discusses some issues CITRUS LOTION emerging from the adoption of X-bar theory and notation with regard to the representation of lenition phenomena, and suggests that the complex hierarchical structure that according to these theories corresponds to a segment poses problems of descriptive adequacy and raises a general question about learnability.