<OT> New Posting: ROA-940

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 940-1207

Accent in Athematic Nouns in Vedic Sanskrit and Its Development from PIE

Melissa Frazier <melfraz at email.unc.edu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=940


Abstract:
An Optimality Theoretic analysis of accent in Vedic Sanskrit
athematic nouns is presented that builds on an analysis
of the same nouns in Proto-Indo-European.  The two accent
patterns of Vedic (columnar and alternating) are explained
by the language's preference to realize underlying accent
(where underlying accent on a root beats underlying accent
on a suffix) and to put accent on the stem-final syllable
if there is no underlying accent.  The accentless vocative
of Vedic is explained if this ending is dominant and causes
an accent deletion.  This dominant ending was inherited
from PIE and is analyzed with OT antifaithfulness constraints.

Comments: 
Keywords: accent, dominance, antifaithfulness, Vedic Sanskrit, Proto-Indo-European
Areas: Phonology,Morphology
Type: Conference Proceedings Chapter

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=940