The defining characteristic of the Ordering Theory is that some phonological process precedes reduplication, so that its effects are felt - or not felt - prior to copying, and thus are observed - or not observed - in both base and copy. If a rule is ordered before reduplicative copying, then its effects or non-effects will be seen in both base and copy. If the relevant phonological rule applies to the base, its output is copied; this is overapplication, ordering-wise. If the rule fails to apply to the base (because its context is only met trough later affixation, including reduplication itself), then by the principle of strict serialism, it has forever lost its chance to apply; underapplication results. Normal application is obtained when the phonological process apply after reduplicative copying.
- McCarthy & Prince (2004), a pag.386-387