<OT> New Posting: ROA-589

[Rutgers Optimality Archive]

ROA 589-0403

Variation, Ambiguity, and Noun Classes in English

Arto Anttila <arto.anttila@nyu.edu>
Vivienne Fong <vivienne.fong@nyu.edu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=589


Abstract:
This paper explores a theory of the meaning-form relation based on ranked
and violable constraints (Prince and Smolensky, 1993), using the English
genitive construction as a testing ground. Our main thesis is that
partially ordered optimality-theoretic grammars allow us to relate four
apparently independent empirical phenomena: (i) categorical grammaticality
contrasts; (ii) variation and preferences in expression; (iii) ambiguity
and preferences in interpretation; (iv) lexical organization.

Keywords: variation, ambiguity, blocking, possessive, genitive, noun
classes, English

Areas: Syntax, Semantics

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=589