STRICTLY LOCAL PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES by Jane Chandlee A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics Spring 2014 c 2014 Jane Chandlee All Rights Reserved UMI Number: 3631165 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3631165 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 STRICTLY LOCAL PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES by Jane Chandlee Approved: Benjamin Bruening, Ph.D. Chair of the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science Approved: George H. Watson, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Arts and Science Approved: James G. Richards, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: Jeffrey Heinz, Ph.D. Professor in charge of dissertation I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: Irene Vogel, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: Benjamin Bruening, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: Herbert Tanner, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: James Rogers, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is actually the hardest section to write, because there simply are no words to convey my gratitude to the people who have seen me through to this point. I am humbled by the extent of their generosity, dedication, and caring. I'll do what I can, but in truth I'll be thanking them all for years to come. First, to Jeff Heinz, whose enthusiasm, kindness, and tireless support never cease to amaze me: thank you. From our very first meeting I have never doubted that I found my mentor. Thanks also to my committee members. To Irene Vogel and Ben Bruening, thank you for setting high standards and inspiring me to meet them by being the kind of scholars I want to be. To Jim Rogers, thanks for your valuable insights and contributions and for helping me to start taking myself seriously as a scholar. And to Bert Tanner, thank you for your support of my work and for opening my eyes to the vast potential of interdisciplinary research. I would also like to thank the professors I worked with throughout my Mas- ter's program at Boston University, for humoring a fiction writer who wanted to learn about linguistics and for giving me the knowledge and confidence to go on to a PhD program. Thanks in particular to Cathy O'Connor, Jonathan Barnes, Paul Hagstrom, and especially Nanette Veilleux of Simmons College. And last but far from least, thank you to my parents, Eileen and Larry, for taking me seriously when I changed my career plans, for not taking me seriously when I said I couldn't do this, and for never once suggesting that I try to get my job at the bank back. And now, onward. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: viii LIST OF FIGURES ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ix ABSTRACT ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: xiii Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1 1.1 Restricting Phonology :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1 1.2 Locality in Phonology :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 7 1.3 Outline ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 8 2 BACKGROUND ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 11 2.1 Empirical Perspective ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 11 2.2 Computational Perspective :::::::::::::::::::::::: 14 2.2.1 Expressive power of grammars :::::::::::::::::: 15 2.2.2 Finite state descriptions of language patterns ::::::::: 17 2.2.3 Strictly Local languages and the Subregular Hierarchy :::: 24 2.3 Learning Phonology :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29 2.3.1 Learning rules ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29 2.3.2 Learning in OT :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 30 2.4 Mathematical Preliminaries ::::::::::::::::::::::: 32 2.4.1 Strings, languages, relations, and functions ::::::::::: 32 2.4.2 Finite state automata ::::::::::::::::::::::: 33 2.4.3 Learning framework :::::::::::::::::::::::: 34 v 3 MODELING PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES WITH STRICTLY LOCAL FUNCTIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 36 3.1 Input Strictly Local Functions :::::::::::::::::::::: 38 3.2 Output Strictly Local Functions ::::::::::::::::::::: 43 3.3 Word Boundary Processes :::::::::::::::::::::::: 47 3.4 Multiple Targets and Contexts :::::::::::::::::::::: 49 4 METATHESIS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62 4.1 Decomposing metathesis ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 65 4.2 Local Metathesis ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 73 4.3 Long-Distance Metathesis :::::::::::::::::::::::: 76 4.4 Displacement ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 79 4.5 Summary ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90 5 WORD FORMATION PROCESSES :::::::::::::::::: 95 5.1 Affixation ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 95 5.2 Reduplication ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 98 5.2.1 Partial reduplication ::::::::::::::::::::::: 98 5.2.2 Full reduplication ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 106 6 LEARNING STRICTLY LOCAL FUNCTIONS ::::::::::: 109 6.1 The Onward Subsequential Transducer Induction Algorithm (OSTIA) 110 6.1.1 Modifying OSTIA to learning phonological mappings ::::: 113 6.2 The ISL Function Learning Algorithm (ISLFLA) ::::::::::: 115 6.2.1 The algorithm ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 116 6.2.2 Identification in the limit ::::::::::::::::::::: 120 6.2.3 Complexity results :::::::::::::::::::::::: 123 6.2.3.1 Time complexity :::::::::::::::::::: 123 vi 6.2.3.2 Size of the characteristic sample :::::::::::: 123 6.3 Demonstrations :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 124 6.3.1 Substitution :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 124 6.3.1.1 German final devoicing ::::::::::::::::: 124 6.3.1.2 English flapping :::::::::::::::::::: 125 6.3.2 Greek fricative deletion :::::::::::::::::::::: 126 6.3.3 Dutch schwa epenthesis :::::::::::::::::::::: 127 6.3.4 Discussion of learning results ::::::::::::::::::: 129 7 DISCUSSION ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 138 7.1 Empirical Coverage of SL Functions ::::::::::::::::::: 138 7.2 Implications of Learning Results ::::::::::::::::::::: 147 7.3 Explanations of Typology :::::::::::::::::::::::: 151 8 CONCLUSION :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 154 BIBLIOGRAPHY :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 156 Appendix FORMAL CHARACTERIZATIONS AND PROPERTIES OF STRICTLY LOCAL FUNCTIONS ::::::::::::::::::: 176 vii LIST OF TABLES 3.1 Mapping by Mode of Application ::::::::::::::::::: 37 3.2 Subregions of the Class of ISL Functions ::::::::::::::: 57 4.1 Summary of Displacement Processes ::::::::::::::::: 91 5.1 Summary of Computational Properties of Partial Reduplication Patterns ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 106 viii LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 Rule-based derivations of plural and past tense allomorphy ::::: 13 2.2 Fragment of a constraint-based grammar ::::::::::::::: 14 2.3 FSA for the language Laa ::::::::::::::::::::::: 18 2.4 A finite state transducer :::::::::::::::::::::::: 20 2.5 Relationship between regular relations and subsequential functions (to be revised) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 21 2.6 Subsequential finite state transducer ::::::::::::::::: 22 2.7 Left and Right subsequential functions :::::::::::::::: 23 2.8 Relationship between subsequential and SL functions (to be revised) 24 2.9 Subregular Hierarchy of formal languages (LTT = Locally Threshold Testable, TSL = Tier-based Strictly Local, LT = Locally Testable, PT = Piecewise Testable, SL = Strictly Local, SP = Strictly Piecewise) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 25 2.10 Canonical SL-2 finite state acceptor :::::::::::::::::: 26 3.1 TISL for the simultaneous application of (1), k = 3, Σ = fa, bg ::: 43 3.2 TOSL for the left-to-right application of (1), k = 3, Σ = fa, bg ::: 44 3.3 TOSL for (8), k = 2, Σ = fN, D, Vg :::::::::::::::::: 46 3.4 TSL for (11), k = 3, Σ = fa, bg :::::::::::::::::::: 48 3.5 TSL for (12), k = 3, Σ = fa, bg :::::::::::::::::::: 49 3.6 TISL for Tonkawa glide vocalization, k = 2, Σ = fC, j, wg ::::: 53 ix 3.7 TISL for (21), k = 3, Σ = fa, b, cg :::::::::::::::::: 54 3.8 TISL for (23), k = 2, Σ = fa, bg :::::::::::::::::::: 56 3.9 TOSL for (23), k = 2, Σ = fa, bg ::::::::::::::::::: 56 3.10 Relationship among left subsequential, right subsequential, OSL, and ISL functions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 57 3.11 TSL for Coeur d'Alene n-deletion, k = 2, Σ = fs, n, ?, ìg :::::: 59 3.12 TSL for Czech j -epenthesis,