<OT> New Posting: ROA-690

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 690-1004

The Role of the Lexicon in Optimality Theoretic Syntax

Gerlof Bouma <gerlof at let.rug.nl>
Leonoor van der Beek <vdbeek at let.rug.nl>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=690


Abstract:
Research in Optimality Theoretic syntax tends to focus on
language universals and the prediction of systematic language-par
ticular properties by means of constraint interaction, often
appealing to the principle of Richness of the Base. However,
this has left the role and formal status of the lexicon
in such models largely uninvestigated. In this paper we
look at some existing architectures for OT syntax, notably
the LFG based OT-LFG, and the consequences of these approaches
for the syntax-phonology interface, lexical lookup, computational
properties of the system and the ability to deal with non-systema
tic language particularities. On the basis of this exposition
we argue that the lexicon should be modeled as an extra
argument of GEN, the universal function from inputs to candidate
sets. This setup is able to deal with phenomena that were
problematic for other architectures, while still respecting
core aspects of Richness of the Base.

Comments: To appear in Miriam Butt and Tracy Holloway King (eds) Proceedings of the LFG04 Conference
Keywords: Richness of the Base, language universals, lexicon
Areas: Syntax,Morphology,Formal Analysis
Type: Conference Proceedings Chapter

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=690