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This paper investigates how and what properties of abstract lexical entries in the mental lexicon interact with the distribution of surface morphemes in language contact and/or L1 attrition. Data from Hungarian/English bilingual children provide evidence that asymmetries in the production of Hungarian preverbs and case suffixes may be explained by considering how these morphemes are elected in language production. Effects of differential election and status of “early” versus "late” system morphemes interact with effects of cross-linguistic incongruence and result in different patterns of error types in the use of preverbs and case suffixes. The results of the study support the predictions of the 4-M model and the Abstract Level model (Myers-Scotton & Jake, 2000). Working within the framework of the 4-M model and the Abstract Level model provides a principled explanation for interrelations between language production and the morphemic organization of the bilingual mental lexicon.
