<OT> New Posting: ROA-810

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 810-0306

Frequency effects and Optimality Theory

James Myers <lngmyers at ccu.edu.tw>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=810


Abstract:
[Second author: Yingshing Li]

This really dense handout addresses the problems for Optimality
Theory posed by lexical frequency effects in phonological
lenition. Such patterns are clearly 'postlexical', yet are
sensitive to lexical information. In fact, they are 'phoneticky'
(variable across utterance tokens and articulatorily gradient),
suggesting that lexical representations are themselves phonetical
ly detailed. Moreover, since lenition is consistently more
common and stronger in forms with higher lexical ferquency,
the phonological/lexical link is systematic, not arbitrary
as such links should be. Our solution is to encode gradient
lexical representations using phonetically based OT (e.g.
Boersma 1998, Hayes et al. 2004), while simultaneously rejecting
the functionalism of much of the research on phonetically
based OT in favor of diachronic explanations for 'naturalness'
(e.g. Hale and Reiss 2000, Blevins 2004). Thus synchronically,
frequency effects are indeed arbitrary, just as lexical
effects should be.

Comments: This hasn't been revised since May 2005, other than minor reformatting.
Keywords: lexical, frequency, gradience
Areas: Phonology,Phonetics
Type: Conference Handout

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=810