<OT> New Posting: ROA-866

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 866-0906

The Locus of Exceptionality: Morpheme-Specific Phonology as Constraint Indexation

Joe Pater <pater at linguist.umass.edu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=866


Abstract:
This paper argues for an analysis of exceptions in Optimality
Theory in terms of lexically specific markedness and faithfulness
constraints. This approach is shown to capture locality
restrictions, distinctions between exceptional and truly
impossible patterns, distinctions between blocking and triggering
, and distinctions between variation and exceptionality.
It is contrasted with other OT analyses of exceptions, in
particular those involving lexically specified rankings
(or cophonologies), and those that disallow lexically specific
faithfulness constraints. The data discussed are from Finnish
and Piro. A learnability account of the genesis of lexically
specific constraints is also provided.


The longer version includes a discussion of derived environment
effects, focusing on data from Chumash, as well as slightly
more discussion of Finnish. The shorter version is more
recent, and it would be best to consult it for anything else.

Comments: There are two versions of this paper. The longer one is to appear in the UMOP: Papers in Optimality Theory III. A revised version of the shorter one will appear in S. Parker (ed.) Phonological Argumentation.
Keywords: exceptions, learnability, lexically specific constraints, cophonology theory, Finnish, Piro, Chumash, locality
Areas: Phonology,Learnability,Morphology
Type: Book Chapter

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=866