<OT> New Posting: ROA-823

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 823-0506

Candidates and Derivations in Optimality Theory

John J. McCarthy <jmccarthy at linguist.umass.edu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=823


Abstract:
This talk describes a revision to Optimality Theory (Prince
and Smolensky 1993/2004) and offers evidence in support
of it. In the revised theory, candidates consist of chains
of forms that somewhat resemble the derivations of rule-based
phonology. For example, the mapping /ktub/ -> [ʔuktub]
in Arabic is accomplished via the candidate chain <ktub,
uktub, ʔuktub>.


Two main conditions on chain well-formedness are posited:
gradualness (one unfaithful mapping is added at each link
in the chain) and harmonic improvement (each link in the
chain is more harmonic than its predecessor, according to
the constraint hierarchy of the language in question). Under
the gradualness requirement, for example, <ktub, ʔuktub>
is not a valid chain, and under the harmonic improvement
requirement, <ktub, ʔktub, ʔuktub> is not a valid chain.


Three main results of this approach will be described in
this talk: candidate generation and evaluation involve only
finite sets; multiple unfaithful mappings cannot be recruited
in support of some local markedness goal; and phonological
opacity is an effect of constraints on the order of unfaithful
mappings in a chain.

Comments: 
Keywords: derivation, opacity, candidate, GEN
Areas: Phonology, Formal Analysis
Type: Conference Handout

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=823