A lexically filled optimality theory approach, ssrn electronic journal, 10. For each chapter, mccarthy adds brief introductory notes and a list of study and. Markedness conflation in optimality theory phonology. Though originally developed from generative phonology, the principles of optimality theory have also been applied in studies of syntax, morphology, pragmatics, language change, and other. Optimality theory optimality theory prince and smolensky 1993 ot is a theory of constraint interaction. The main idea is that grammars impose a set of restrictions on what are valid surface forms.
Grammars are constituted by systems of ranked violable constraints. The basic formal element of the theory is the constraint. Clinical application of optimality theory 243 optimality theory is different from the majority of linguistic frameworks in that it does not appeal to rules or processes to explain such patterns in grammar. Optimality theory constraint interaction in generative grammar first circulated. Optimality theory in phonology alan prince and paul smolensky 1. For example, almost all researchers treat phonology and syntax as separate grammatical subsystems. An overview find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Cantonese loanword phonology and optimality theory springerlink. The article surveys the fundamental premises of ot as applied to phonology. Therefore, d cannot be the optimal candidate under any ranking of just these three constraints, though it could be optimal with a larger constraint set. Ovaj clanak uvod je u optimalnosnu teoriju i u nacela njezine primjene u fonologiji.
What is clear is that any serious theory of phonology must rely heavily on wellformedness constraints. Contrast in phonology theory, perception and acquisition avery, peter. Theory, in which markedness has no substantive status in the grammar, but functions as an external system of annotations on parameter values, evaluating a grammars complexity. The fundamental idea behind ot is that surface forms of language. This article surveys research in spanish phonology from the perspective of optimality theory, a formal linguistic framework based on ranked and violable constraints. If you are a student or academic complete our librarian recommendation form to recommend the oxford research encyclopedias to your librarians for an institutional free trial. Nov 30, 2016 in this weeks episode, we take a look at optimality theory. Compiles the most important readings about optimality theory in phonology from some of the most prominent researchers. A reader is a collection of readings on this important new theory by leading figures in the field, including a lengthy excerpt from prince and smolenskys neverbeforepublished optimality theory. As the theory of representations in syntax has ramified, the theory of operations has dwindled in content, even to triviality and, for some, nonexistence.
Optimality theory is most commonly associated with the field of phonology, but has also been applied to other areas of linguistics. Optimality theory confronts these issues directly, designing its basic architecture to deal with them. Ot reclaims traditional grammars ability to express surface generalizations. August, 2002 alan prince paul smolensky department of linguistics department of cognitive science rutgers cognitive science center the johns hopkins university. It espouses a serialist view of morphology that is rejected by most current phonologists. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left. This article surveys the motivations for ot, its core principles, and the basics of analysis. The first addresses recurring issues in phonological and linguistic analysis and sketches how optimality theory might account for these.
Optimality theory ot is a linguistic model originally proposed by the linguists alan prince and paul smolensky in 1993. Bradley university of california, davis abstract this article surveys research in spanish phonology from the perspective of optimality theory, a formal linguistic framework based on ranked and violable constraints. Ot has also been applied to syntax and semantics, although not as widely. Autosegmental spreading in optimality theory1 john j. Optimality theory was introduced in the 1990s by linguists alan prince and paul smolensky optimality theory. Introduction nick clementss contributions to phonological theory have profoundly influenced my own work as well as that of many others. The prevailing nonsequential approach to phonology, the optimality theory, ot, is based not on rewrite rules but on constraints. Terence langendoen ii blackwell publishers 1 optimality theory. In this weeks episode, we take a look at optimality theory.
Ot is a theory of constraint interaction in grammar, which aims to solve a couple of problems that have confronted generative phonological theory since its earliest days. Optimality theory makes two particular strong points for acquisition research. Optimality theory henceforth ot is the linguistic theory of the 1990s. Constraint interaction in generative grammar compiles the most important readings about optimality theory in phonology from some of the most prominent researchers. Among these contributions is his formalization of the principles of autosegmental association.
In linguistics, optimality theory frequently abbreviated ot. Optimality theory has drawn a good deal of criticism, most of which is directed at its application to phonology rather than syntax or other fields. Hayes stem stress and peak correspondence in dutch rene kager faithfulness and prosodic circumscription john j. This article argues that both languagespecific conflation and universal markedness relations can be expressed in optimality theory. Lecture notes introduction to phonology linguistics and. All these models assume that there is only one level of phonology, the surface one, and that all alternations can be describe at these levels. Within phonology, ot has largely supplanted rulebased frameworks. Your book is focused on oldfashioned rewrite rules. Although much of the interest in ot has been associated with its use in phonology the area to which ot was first applied, the theory is also applicable to other subfields of. These restrictions can be formalized in terms of constraints.
Optimality theory ot shifts the focus of linguistic discovery from rules and derivations to constraints and rankings. Jane grimshaw, geraldine legendre and joan bresnan have developed instantiations of the theory within syntax. This chapter presents an overview of optimality theory ot as applied to phonology. Optimality theory in phonological acquisition journal of. Introduction to optimality theory in phonology and syntax. A synthesis of derivational and optimality phonology is then presented in which constraints accumulate one by one constraint cumulation theory, cct.
Pdf on jan 1, 1997, diana archangeli and others published optimality theory. Rene kagers textbook is one of the rst to cover optimality theory ot, a declarative grammar framework that swiftly took over phonology afterit was introduced by prince, smolensky, and mccarthy in 1993. Lecture notes introduction to phonology linguistics. We will see below that metrical theory, the other nonlinear branch of phonology, was. It made its public debut at the university of arizona phonology conference in tucson in april. Constraint interaction in generative grammar, 19932004. Ot differs from other approaches to phonological analysis, such as autosegmental phonology and linear phonology spe, which typically use rules rather. Nicholas rolle lectures at uc berkeley on optimality theory in phonology ling 115 2016.
Download pdf optimalitytheory free online new books in. One point, already mentioned above, is the fact that ot has incorporated notions like markedness and output constraint which already played an important role in studies on child language phonology. Download pdf optimalitytheory free online new books. This is an introduction to optimality theory, whose central idea is that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing constraints.
This volume provides the first general introduction to optimality theory arguably the d linguistic theory of the 1990s. Progressive place assimilation in optimality theory. Crossref teodor petric and joseph paul stemberger, permanent and temporary phonological influences in slovenian irregular verb production, language, cognition and neuroscience, 29, 4, 470, 2014. Pdf optimality theory and spanish phonology travis g. Optimality theory an overview edited by diana archangeli and d. The duplication problem is addressed by the socalled monostratal theories, like declarative phonology bird, scobbie a. Ot is a theory of constraint interaction in grammar, which aims to solve a. Given the architecture of generative phonology, which distinguishes between underlying lexical forms and surface forms, and given the.
Prominent among the constraints are i a set of syllablestructure conditions, ii a strong preference for matching the input as closely as possible, and iii a tendency towards bisyllabic minimal words. In optimality theory ot, a grammar is a languagespecific ranking of universal, violable constraints, which select the optimal candidate among imperfect alternatives. What is clear is that any serious theory of phonology must rely heavily on well formedness constraints. Candidate d, however is harmonically bounded by a, and by c. An introduction to linguistics in the 1990s diana archangeli optimality theory henceforth ot is the linguistic theory of the 1990s. The basic assumptions of this constraintbased theory as a general model of grammar. Cantonese loanword phonology and optimality theory.
Mit press prince and smolensky 1993 introduced optimality theory ot as aframework for linguistic analysis. Nov 29, 2016 nicholas rolle lectures at uc berkeley on optimality theory in phonology ling 115 2016. Optimality theory in phonological acquisition jhu computer. Assumption 1b is currently shared by a majority of phonologists, and by a sub. Many criticisms of ot are, according to its proponents, based on fundamental misunderstanding of how it works. Theoretical insights from ot enrich our understanding of spanish phonology, and.
Pdf optimality theory in phonology part 1 veno volenec. Pdf cambridge textbooks in linguistics optimality theory. Optimality theory has led to a radical rethinking of autosegmental mapping, delinking, and spreading as they were formulated under the earlier derivational paradigm. In contrast, dominance relations in markedness hierarchies are universal. A surface form is optimal if it incurs the least serious violations of a set of constraints, taking into account their hierarchical ranking. Optimality theory in phonology is a textbook for an advancedlevel phonology course that contains excerpts from 33 important articles and manuscripts on optimality theory ot. Cycles, nonderivedenvironment blocking, and correspondence luigi burzio gradient wellformedness in optimality theory bruce p. It made its public debut at the university of arizona phonology conference in tucson in april 1991, when alan prince and paul smolensky presented a paper entitled simply optimality. Formal comparison and synthesis russell james norton a thesis submitted for the degree of doctor of philosophy.
The analysis is worked out within optimality theory and to the extent that it is successful provides support for that emerging theory. Max every input segment must have an output correspondent. Derivational residue in phonological optimality theory ben hermans, marc van oostendorp. It also explores some consequences of ot for phonological theory, including typology, learnability, acquisition, and variation. The book leads the reader to an understanding of optimality theory via the exploration and resolution of specific problems in phonology, morphology, and syntax, but presumes virtually no background knowledge in linguistics. Ot henceforth has experimented a spectacular development in the last decade, exerting. It also addresses some frequently asked questions about this theory and offers suggestions. Optimality theory has been deployed by linguists to analyze all levels of linguistic structure, from phonetics to pragmatics.
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