<OT> New Posting: ROA-982

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 982-0708

Optimization and Linguistic Typology

Joe Pater <pater at linguist.umass.edu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=982


Abstract:
Harmonic Grammar (HG) and Optimality Theory (OT) are closely
related theories of language. In both, the structure of
a given language is determined by the relative strengths
of a set of constraints. The theories differ in how these
strengths are represented: as numerical weightings (HG)
or as rankings (OT). Weighted constraints have advantages
for the construction of accounts of language learning and
other cognitive processes, partly because they allow for
the adaptation of connectionist and statistical models.
HG has been little studied in generative linguistics, however,
largely due to influential claims that weighted constraints
make incorrect predictions about the typology of natural
languages, predictions that are not shared by the more popular
OT. This paper makes the case that HG is in fact a promising
framework for typological research, and reviews and extends
the existing arguments for weighted over ranked constraints.


Comments: This paper updates and expands on material in ROA-924 Linguistic Optimization.
Keywords: Harmonic Grammar, strict domination, phonology, typology, learning
Areas: Formal Analysis,Phonology,Learnability
Type: Journal Article

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=982