<OT> New Posting: ROA-886

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 886-1206

A note on the construction of complex OT constraints by material implication

Matthew Wolf <mwolf at linguist.umass.edu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=886


Abstract:
Smolensky (1995) proposes that OT include a mechanism of
local conjunction to construct complex constraints from
simpler ones. While local conjunction has come to enjoy
relatively widespread acceptance, much less attention has
been paid to the consequences (for good or ill) of allowing
other mechanisms for creating complex constraints.

Archangeli, Moll, & Ohno (1998) and Balari, Marín,
& Vallverdú (2000) (the latter modifying a somewhat
different proposal in Crowhurst & Hewitt 1997) propose that
OT requires a complex-constraint connective with the semantics
of classical material implication, wherein constraint satisfactio
n is understood as corresponding to truth and constraint
violation as corresponding to falsehood.

This squib shows that a material-implication connective
for OT constraints would have the undesirable consequence
of allowing OT to model circular chain shifts on the input-output
dimension. As such chain shifts are unattested, at least
in phonology (Anderson & Browne 1973 et seq.), this suggests
that proposals for a material implication connective are
to be eschewed.

Comments: 
Keywords: local conjunction, material implication, circular chain shift, exchange rule
Areas: Formal Analysis,Phonology
Type: Squib

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=886