<OT> New Posting: ROA-1049

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 1049-0909

Studying GEN

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

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=1049


Abstract:
In Optimality Theory, phonological patterns are accounted
for with output constraints ranked in a hierarchy. There
is little explanatory role for a theory of operations, and
hence little has been said about the Gen component. This
situation has changed with the emergence of a derivational
version of Optimality Theory called Harmonic Serialism.

One of the principal differences between Harmonic Serialism
and standard Optimality Theory is that Harmonic Serialism's
Gen is limited to doing one thing at a time. Harmonic Serialism's
analyses and explanations depend on knowing what it means
to “do one thing at a time”, and that requires a precise
theory of Gen.

This article explains Gen's role in Harmonic Serialism and
describes two techniques for discovering properties of Gen.

Comments: Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan 13(2), August, 2009.
Keywords: Harmonic Serialism, Gen
Areas: Phonology,Formal Analysis
Type: Journal Article

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=1049