Constraint Combinations and Phonological Opacity*
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Opacity and Cyclicity
Opacity and Cyclicity Paul Kiparsky Stanford University Phonological opacity and paradigmatic effects (“synchronic analogy”) have long been of interest in relation to change, naturalness, and the phonology/morphology interface. Their investigation has now acquired a new urgency, because they call into question OT’s postulate that constraints are evaluated in parallel. Conceptu- ally, parallelism is one of the basic and most interesting tenets of OT, and so there are good methodological reasons to try hard to save it in the face of such recal- citrant data. The price to be paid for it is the introduction of otherwise unneeded powerful new types of Faithfulness constraints, such as Output/Output (O/O) con- straints, Paradigm Uniformity constraints, and Sympathy constraints, which have turned out to compromise the OT program very severely. The alternative to this approach is to abandon full parallelism in favor of strat- ified constraint systems. This has the compensating advantage of maintaining a restrictive and well-defined constraint inventory, as originally envisaged in OT. More importantly, it achieves some genuine explanations by relating the strat- ification motivated by opacity and cyclicity to the intrinsic morphological and prosodic constituency of words and phrases, as characterized by the Stem, Word, and Postlexical levels of Lexical Phonology and Morphology (Booij 1996; 1997; Orgun 1996; Bermudez-Otero 1999). I shall refer to this approach as LPM-OT, and outline how it offers a superior account of the benchmark data that Kager 1999 discusses in Ch. 6 of his book.1 LPM-OT’s goal is to reduce cyclicity to I/O faithfulness, and opacity to inter- level constraint masking. -
Inflectional Morphology in Optimality Theory
Inflectional Morphology in Optimality Theory A Dissertation Presented by Zheng Xu to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics Stony Brook University August 2007 Copyright by Zheng Xu August 2007 Stony Brook University The Graduate School Zheng Xu We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation Mark Aronoff, Professor of Linguistics Robert D. Hoberman, Professor of Linguistics Alice C. Harris, Professor of Linguistics James P. Blevins, Assistant Director of Research Research Center for English and Applied Linguistics University of Cambridge This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School Lawrence Martin Dean of the Graduate School ii Abstract of the Dissertation Inflectional Morphology in Optimality Theory by Zheng Xu Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics Stony Brook University 2007 This dissertation proposes an inferential-realizational model of inflectional morphology (Matthews 1972, Zwicky 1985, Anderson 1992, Aronoff 1994, Stump 2001) within the framework of Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky 1993). Following Russell 1995, Yip 1998, Hyman 2003, MacBride 2004, I assume that the phonological information of inflectional affixes is introduced through realization constraints (RC) which associate abstract morphosyntactic or semantic feature values with phonological forms. I propose that rankings of realization constraints conform to the specificity condition, i.e. a constraint realizing a more specific morphosyntactic feature value set outranks a less specific realization constraint. I also propose that the unmarked situation in which one feature value is realized by one form (Wurzel 1989) is encoded in two universal and violable markedness constraints, *FEATURE SPLIT which bans the realization of a feature value by more than one form and *FEATURE FUSION which bans a form realizing more than one feature value. -
Transparency in Language a Typological Study
Transparency in language A typological study Published by LOT phone: +31 30 253 6111 Trans 10 3512 JK Utrecht e-mail: [email protected] The Netherlands http://www.lotschool.nl Cover illustration © 2011: Sanne Leufkens – image from the performance ‘Celebration’ ISBN: 978-94-6093-162-8 NUR 616 Copyright © 2015: Sterre Leufkens. All rights reserved. Transparency in language A typological study ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. dr. D.C. van den Boom ten overstaan van een door het college voor promoties ingestelde commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Agnietenkapel op vrijdag 23 januari 2015, te 10.00 uur door Sterre Cécile Leufkens geboren te Delft Promotiecommissie Promotor: Prof. dr. P.C. Hengeveld Copromotor: Dr. N.S.H. Smith Overige leden: Prof. dr. E.O. Aboh Dr. J. Audring Prof. dr. Ö. Dahl Prof. dr. M.E. Keizer Prof. dr. F.P. Weerman Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen i Acknowledgments When I speak about my PhD project, it appears to cover a time-span of four years, in which I performed a number of actions that resulted in this book. In fact, the limits of the project are not so clear. It started when I first heard about linguistics, and it will end when we all stop thinking about transparency, which hopefully will not be the case any time soon. Moreover, even though I might have spent most time and effort to ‘complete’ this project, it is definitely not just my work. Many people have contributed directly or indirectly, by thinking about transparency, or thinking about me. -
Observations on the Phonetic Realization of Opaque Schwa in Southern French
http://dx.doi.org/10.17959/sppm.2015.21.3.457 457 Observations on the phonetic realization of opaque * schwa in Southern French Julien Eychenne (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies) Eychenne, Julien. 2015. Observations on the phonetic realization of opaque schwa in Southern French. Studies in Phonetics, Phonology and Morphology 21.3. 457-494. This paper discusses a little-known case of opacity found in some southern varieties of French, where the vowel /ə/, which is footed in the dependent syllable of a trochee, is usually realized as [ø], like the full vowel /Œ/. This case of opacity is particularly noteworthy because the opaque generalization is suprasegmental, not segmental. I show that, depending on how the phenomenon is analyzed derivationally, it simultaneously displays symptoms of counterbleeding and counterfeeding opacity. A phonetic analysis of data from one representative speaker is carried out, and it is shown that the neutralization between /ə/ and /Œ/ is complete in this idiolect. Implications for the structure of lexical representations and for models of phonology are discussed in light of these results. (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies) Keywords: schwa, Southern French, opacity 1. Introduction Opacity is one of the most fundamental issues in generative phonological theory. The traditional view of opacity, due to Kiparsky (1971, 1973) and framed within the derivational framework of The Sound Pattern of English (henceforth SPE, Chomsky and Halle 1968), goes as follows: (1) Opacity (Kiparsky 1973: 79) A phonological rule P of the form A → B / C__D is opaque if there are * An early version of this work was presented at the Linguistics Colloquium of the English Linguistics Department, Graduate School at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. -
An Introduction to Optimality Theory
9781405151368_4_001.qxd 11/30/07 5:01 PM Page 1 1 An Introduction to Optimality Theory 1.1 How OT Began Around 1990, Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky began collaborating on a new theory of human language. This collaboration led in fairly short order to a book-length manuscript, Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar. Photocopies of the manuscript were widely distributed and had a terrific impact on the field of linguistics, even though it wasn’t formally published until more than a decade later (as Prince and Smolensky 1993/2004). OT had and continues to have its greatest effect on phonology, but it has also led to important work in syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, and other areas. OT belongs on anyone’s list of the top three developments in the history of generative grammar. One of Prince and Smolensky’s goals for OT was to solve a long- standing problem in phonology. Phonological theory in the tradition of Chomsky and Halle’s (1968) The Sound Pattern of English (SPE) was based on rewrite rules. The rewrite rule A → B/C___D describes an input configuration CAD and an A → B transformation that applies to it. Rewrite rules can describe lots of phenomena, but they do a poor job of explaining how phonological systems fit together. (For a brief explanation of SPE’s main assumptions, see the boxed text at the end of this section.) To illustrate, we’ll look at some data from Yawelmani, a nearly extinct dialect of the California Penutian language Yokuts (Newman 1944).1 In this language, syllables cannot be bigger than CVC (consonant- vowel-consonant). -
Phonetically Driven Phonology: the Role of Optimality Theory and Inductive Grounding1
Phonetically Driven Phonology: The Role of Optimality Theory and Inductive Grounding1 Bruce P. Hayes UCLA Final version: August 1997 Written for the proceedings volume of the 1996 Milwaukee Conference on Formalism and Functionalism in Linguistics Abstract Functionalist phonetic literature has shown how the phonologies of human languages are arranged to facilitate ease of articulation and perception. The explanatory force of phonological theory is greatly increased if it can directly access these research results. There are two formal mechanisms that together can facilitate the link-up of formal to functional work. As others have noted, Optimality Theory, with its emphasis on directly incorporating principles of markedness, can serve as part of the bridge. Another mechanism is proposed here: an algorithm for inductive grounding permits the language learner to access the knowledge gained from experience in articulation and perception, and form from it the appropriate set of formal phonological constraints. 1 I would like to thank Marco Baroni, Patricia Keating, Donca Steriade, and members of talk audiences at MIT, Arizona, Tilburg, Utrecht, Cornell, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, and the Formalism/Functionalism conference for helpful input in the preparation of this paper. Phonetically-Driven Phonology p. 2 1. Phonological Functionalism The difference between formalist and functionalist approaches in linguistics has taken different forms in different areas. For phonology, and particularly for the study of fully- productive sound patterns, the functionalist approach has traditionally been phonetic in character. For some time, work in the phonetic literature, such as Ohala (1974, 1978, 1981, 1983), Ohala and OHALA (1993), Liljencrants and Lindblom (1972), Lindblom (1983, 1990), and Westbury and Keating (1986), has argued that the sound patterns of languages are effectively arranged to facilitate ease of articulation and distinctness of contrasting forms in perception. -
Modeling the Acquisition of Phonological Interactions: Biases and Generalization
Modeling the Acquisition of Phonological Interactions: Biases and Generalization Brandon Prickett and Gaja Jarosz1 University of Massachusetts Amherst 1 Introduction Phonological processes in a language have the potential to interact with one another in numerous ways (Kiparsky 1968, 1971). Two relatively common interaction types are bleeding and feeding interactions, with (1) showing hypothetical examples of both (for a similar hypothetical example, see Baković 2011). (1) Example of Bleeding and Feeding Interactions Bleeding Feeding Underlying Representation (UR) /esi/ /ise/ [-Low] → [αHigh] / [αHigh]C_ (Vowel Harmony) ese isi [s] → [ʃ] / _[+High] (Palatalization) - iʃi Surface Representation (SR) [ese] [iʃi] In the bleeding interaction above, the underlying form /esi/ undergoes harmony, since the /e/ and /i/ have different values for the feature [High]. Since the harmony is progressive, the /i/ assimilates to the /e/ and can no longer trigger the palatalization process (which occurs after harmony), resulting in a surface form of [ese]. The feeding interaction has the opposite effect, with an underlying /e/ becoming a high vowel due to harmony and then triggering the palatalization process to create the SR [iʃi]. The crucial difference between the two interaction types in this example is whether the UR undergoes lowering or raising due to the harmony process. Two other interactions can be produced using these same URs by applying the two rules in the opposite order. These are called Counterbleeding and Counterfeeding interactions and are shown in (2). (2) Example of Counterbleeding and Counterfeeding Interactions Counterbleeding Counterfeeding UR /esi/ /ise/ Palatalization eʃi - Vowel Harmony eʃe isi SR [eʃe] [isi] In the counterbleeding interaction, both palatalization and harmony are able to change the underlying representation, but the motivation for palatalizing (i.e. -
Speakers Treat Transparent and Opaque Alternation Patterns Differently — Evidence from Chinese Tone Sandhi*
This is a printout of the final PDF file and has been approved by me, the author. Any mistakes in this printout will not be fixed by the publisher. Here is my signature and the date 06/10/2018 Speakers Treat Transparent and Opaque Alternation Patterns Differently — Evidence from Chinese Tone Sandhi* Jie Zhang 1. Introduction 1.1 Opacity The study of opacity has had a long tradition in generative phonology. Kiparsky (1973: p.79) defined two types of opacity for a phonological rule, as in (1). The first type is also known as underapplication opacity, and the opaque rule is non-surface-true; the second type is also known as overapplication opacity, and the opaque rule is non-surface-apparent (e.g., Bakovic 2007). (1) Opacity: A phonological rule P of the form A → B / C __ D is opaque if there are surface structures with any of the following characteristics: (a) Instance of A in the environment C __ D; (b) Instance of B derived by P in environments other than C __ D. In the rule-based framework, opacity can generally be derived by ordering the opaque rule before another rule that could either set up or destroy the application of the opaque rule (but see Bakovic 2007, 2011, who advocates the decoupling of opacity and rule ordering). In a surface-oriented theory like Optimality Theory (OT; Prince and Smolensky 1993/2004), however, opacity poses significant challenges. Without modification to the theory, neither underapplication nor overapplication opacity can be straightforwardly derived. A number of general solutions for opacity have been proposed within OT, including the Sympathy Theory (McCarthy 1999), Stratal OT (Kiparsky 2000, Nazarov and Pater 2017), OT with Candidate Chains (OT-CC; McCarthy 2007), and Serial Markedness Reduction (Jarosz 2014, 2016). -
Optimality Theory
This page intentionally left blank This page intentionally left blank Optimality Theory This is an introduction to Optimality Theory, the central idea of which is that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts be- tween competing constraints. A surface form is ‘optimal’ if it incurs the least serious violations of a set of constraints, taking into account their hierarchical ranking. Languages differ in the ranking of con- straints; and any violations must be minimal. The book does not limit its empirical scope to phonological phenomena, but also contains chapters on the learnability of OT grammars; OT’s implications for syntax; and other issues such as opacity. It also reviews in detail a selection of the considerable research output which OT has already produced. Exercises accompany chapters 1–7, and there are sections on further reading. Optimality Theory will be welcomed by any lin- guist with a basic knowledge of derivational Generative Phonology. RENÉ KAGER teaches linguistics at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. CAMBRIDGE TEXTBOOKS IN LINGUISTICS General editors: s. r. anderson, j. bresnan, b. comrie, w. dressler, c. ewen, r. huddleston, r. lass, d. lightfoot, j. lyons, p. h. matthews, r. posner, s. romaine, n. v. smith, n. vincent OPTIMALITY THEORY In this series p. h. matthews Morphology Second edition b. comrie Aspect r. m. kempson Semantic Theory t. bynon Historical Linguistics j. allwood, l.-g. anderson and ö . dahl Logic in Linguistics d. b. fry The Physics of Speech r. a. hudson Sociolinguistics Second edition a. j. elliott Child Language p. h. matthews Syntax a. radford Transformational Syntax l. -
What Is Optimality Theory? John J
University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Linguistics Department Faculty Publication Series Linguistics January 2007 What is Optimality Theory? John J. McCarthy University of Massachusetts, Amherst, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/linguist_faculty_pubs Part of the Morphology Commons, Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons, and the Phonetics and Phonology Commons Recommended Citation McCarthy, John J., "What is Optimality Theory?" (2007). Language and Linguistics Compass. 93. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/linguist_faculty_pubs/93 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Linguistics at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Linguistics Department Faculty Publication Series by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 What is Optimality Theory?1 John J. McCarthy University of Massachusetts Amherst Abstract. Optimality Theory is a general model of how grammars are structured. This article surveys the motivations for OT, its core principles, and the basics of analysis. It also addresses some frequently asked questions about this theory and offers suggestions for further reading. 1. Introduction In 1991, Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky began presenting their work on a new approach to language. By 1993, this new approach had a name — Optimality Theory — and it became known through their widely-circulated manuscript Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar (hereafter, Prince and Smolensky (2004)). The impact of this work on the field of phonology was extensive and immediate; since 1993, it has also stimulated important research in syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, and other areas. -
The Acquisition of Phonological Opacity
The acquisition of phonological opacity Ricardo Bermúdez-Otero University of Newcastle upon Tyne Abstract. This paper argues that Stratal OT is explanatorily superior to alternative OT treatments of phonological opacity (notably, Sympathy Theory). It shows that Stratal OT supports a learning model that accounts for the acquisition of opaque grammars with a minimum of machinery. The model is illustrated with a case study of the classical counterbleeding interaction between Diphthong Raising and Flapping in Canadian English. 1. Phonological opacity: Stratal OT vs Sympathy Theory Following the appearance of Prince & Smolensky (1993), phonologists were quick to realize that, in its original version, Optimality Theory (OT) was unable to describe a large set of phonological phenomena previously modelled by means of opaque rules. Ten years later, opacity remains the severest challenge confronting OT phonology. The problem is crucial because opacity effects constitute one of the clearest instances of Plato’s Problem (Chomsky 1986) in phonology: learners face the task of acquiring generalizations that are not true on the surface. The ability to explain the acquisition of opaque grammars should accordingly be regarded as one of the main criteria by which generative theories of phonology are to be judged. Among the variants of OT phonology currently on offer, two claim to provide a comprehensive solution to the problem of opacity: Sympathy Theory (McCarthy 1999, 2003) and Stratal OT (Bermúdez-Otero 1999b; Kiparsky 2000, forthcoming). In this paper, I compare the strategies whereby these two phonological models seek to achieve —and indeed transcend— explanatory adequacy: • I shall first consider the formal restrictions that each theory imposes on the complexity of opaque effects (§2). -
Role of Phonological Opacity and Morphological Knowledge in Predicting Reading
Role of Phonological Opacity and Morphological Knowledge in Predicting Reading Skills in School-Age Children A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Health Sciences and Professions of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Gayatri Ram December 2013 © 2013 Gayatri Ram. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Role of Phonological Opacity and Morphological Knowledge in Predicting Reading Skills in School-Age Children by GAYATRI RAM has been approved for the School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences and the College of Health Sciences and Professions by Sally A. Marinellie Associate Professor of Health Sciences and Professions Randy Leite Dean, College of Health Sciences and Professions 3 Abstract RAM, GAYATRI, Ph.D., December 2013, Speech-Language Science Role of Phonological Opacity and Morphological Knowledge in Predicting Reading Skills in School-Age Children Director of Dissertation: Sally A. Marinellie The aim of the present study was to investigate different aspects of morphological knowledge for phonologically transparent and opaque derived words in young school-age children. We were also interested in identifying morphological predictors of decoding and reading comprehension in school-age children. A total of 53 typically developing children in grade 3 participated in the project. All children completed three experimental tasks measuring different aspects of morphological knowledge for both kinds of derived words as well as standardized measures for decoding, passage comprehension and phonological awareness. Results indicated that children performed better on phonologically transparent derived words as compared to opaque derived words on all three morphological knowledge tasks. Further, results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that both phonological awareness and morphological knowledge accounted for unique variance in reading skills in children.