Optimality theory ot shifts the focus of linguistic discovery from rules and derivations to constraints and rankings. Optimality theory, markedness and second language syntax. Ovaj clanak uvod je u optimalnosnu teoriju i u nacela njezine primjene u fonologiji. It espouses a serialist view of morphology that is rejected by most current phonologists. Autosegmental phonology goldsmith pdf goldsmiths book autosegmental and metrical phonology amp has two major purposes. This book presents the results of research as applied to read more. Vowel epenthesis and consonant deletion in japanese loanwords from english the current study examines japanese loanwords from english in the framework of optimality theory ot. Optimality theory ot is a theory of constraint interaction.
This course focuses on feature and prosodic structure while the sequel, 24. The goal of this chapter is to overview optimality theory ot, prince and smolen sky 2004 as applied to phonology. Ot has also been applied to syntax and semantics, although not as widely. Toward an ecological phonology naturalism phonology np. The first addresses recurring issues in phonological and linguistic analysis and sketches how optimality theory might account for these. Phonology palgrave modern linguistics by philip carr, jeanpierre montreuil covering the entire history of generative phonology, from the sound pattern of english model to the optimality theory framework in use today, phonology includes the latest developments in analytical.
This chapter presents an overview of optimality theory ot as applied to phonology. What is clear is that any serious theory of phonology must rely heavily on well formedness constraints. Within phonology, ot has largely supplanted rulebased frameworks. Introducing phonology david odden pdf introducing phonology david odden. It is a theory that has been most widely accepted in the realm of phonology, but has implications for all areas of linguistics. The rise of optimality theory ot shifted attention from theories of representations to a constraintsbased theory of phonological processes and their interactions. A reader is a collection of readings on this important new theory by leading figures in the field, starting with a lengthy excerpt from the original source, prince and smolenskys neverbeforepublished report optimality theory. Semantic scholar extracted view of optimality theory in phonology. The basic principles of optimality theory are introduced and. The fundamental idea behind ot is that surface forms of language. The prevailing nonsequential approach to phonology, the optimality theory, ot, is based not on rewrite rules but on constraints. Mccarthy, university of massachusetts, amherst ot does not need to permanently influence linguistic theory.
Formal comparison and synthesis russell james norton a thesis submitted for the degree of doctor of philosophy. Optimality theory and african language phonology cascadilla. This relates to the phonology course i teach, in which one of the major assignments is a. Previously, a formal phonology consisted of a set of somewhat arbitrarylooking rules. Optimality theory ot is a linguistic model originally proposed by the linguists alan prince and paul smolensky in 1993. This paper examines opaque examples of phraselevel phonology taken from chilean spanish under the framework of stratal optimality theory ot rubach 1997. 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. In linguistics, optimality theory frequently abbreviated ot. The goal of this study is to investigate which vowels native japanesespeaking borrowers epenthesize and when they delete consonants in modifying english source words. Your book is focused on oldfashioned rewrite rules. This tutorial presents an introduction to the contemporary linguistic framework known as optimality theory ot.
Optimality theory has revolutionized phonological theory, and its insights are now being applied to other central aspects of language. A very short introduction to optimality theory, a linguistic framework that attempts to account for the grammar of human languages. A reader is a collection of readings on this important new theory by leading figures in the field, including a lengthy excerpt from john j. This article surveys the motivations for ot, its core principles, and the basics of analysis. Abstract optimality theory was introduced in the early 1990s as an alternative model of the organization of natural human language sound systems. For each chapter, mccarthy adds brief introductory notes and a list of study and research questions. Synchronic chain shifts in optimality theory optimality. The basic assumptions of this constraintbased theory as a general model of grammar. This is provided in the further reading sections at the end of each chapter.
Pdf optimality theory and spanish phonology travis g. Abstract this article surveys research in spanish phonology from the perspective of optimality theory, a formal linguistic framework based on ranked and violable constraints. Optimality theory is a general model of how grammars are structured. Scandinavian object shift and optimality theory springerlink. However, ot radically differs from earlier generative models in various ways. This article provides an introduction to the model for the nonlinguist. This study carries out an analysis using the framework of optimality theory to investigate the acquisition of the morphophonemics of ja triconsonantal verbs. Optimality theory, in common with much recent work, shifts the burden from the theory of. 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.
Optimality theory in phonology alan prince and paul smolensky 1. Since its inception in the early 1990s, optimality theory ot. In optimality theory ot, a grammar is a languagespecific ranking of universal, violable constraints, which select the optimal candidate among imperfect alternatives. The data show an interesting double repair of the coda s taking place at word edges. For instance, autosegmental phonology chapter does not provide a theory of phonological computation how inputs and outputs are related and neither. It also addresses some frequently asked questions about this theory and offers suggestions. A number of passages in the text offer guidance in eliciting useful and valid data from native speakers. The theory of functional phonology boersma 1997a maintains that this interaction is directly reflected in the grammar. Ot henceforth has experimented a spectacular development in the last decade, exerting. Cantonese loanword phonology and optimality theory.
Optimality theory is grammar about rules or constraints. 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. In this weeks episode, we take a look at optimality theory. Optimality theory is a development of generative grammar, a theory sharing its focus on formal description and quest for universal principles, on the basis of empirical research of linguistic typology and first language acquisition. Vowel epenthesis and consonant deletion in japanese. Pdf optimality theory, markedness and second language. Optimality theory in phonological acquisition journal of. This article provides an introduction to the model. Its goals are to introduce the major research questions, results, and analytic techniques in the field of phonology.
Mccarthy university of massachusetts amherst abstract. Optimality theory in linguistics is the theory that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing constraints. The analysis is worked out within optimality theory and to the extent that it is successful provides support for that emerging theory. 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. 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. The article surveys the fundamental premises of ot as applied to phonology. Optimality theory in phonological acquisition jhu computer. It also explores some consequences of ot for phonological theory, including typology, learnability, acquisition, and variation. 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. This book presents an account of object shift, a word order phenomenon found in most of the scandinavian languages where an object occurs unexpectedly to the left and not to the right of a.
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