The phonology of japanese features about 15 consonant phonemes, the crosslinguistically typical fivevowel system of a, i, u, e, o, and a relatively simple phonotactic distribution of phonemes allowing few consonant clusters. The focus is on phonology, which is where the theory thus far has had its greatest impact. Optimality theory makes two particular strong points for acquisition research. Lexicon and numeration, notion of features, feature checking and checking domains. The basic assumptions of this constraintbased theory as a general model of grammar are first outlined, with formal notation being defined and illustrated. As a general model, optimality theory has wide applications to a variety of areas in cognitive science, and especially to those related to language. Optimality theory is a development of generative grammar, a theory sharing its focus on formal description and quest for universal principles, on the basis of empirical research of linguistic typology and first language acquisition. This comprehensive survey provides an uptodate, critical overview of this widely debated topic, exploring and evaluating word order research carried out in four major theoretical frameworks linguistic typology, generative grammar, optimality theory and processingbased. Karttunen, rene kager, paul kiparsky, mike kenstowicz, ellis visch, andras kornai, akin.
Updated pdf pages with higher res character sheets from ffgs website using the same pdf style as found in the back of the core book, this resulted in a loss of the critical injury box in place of other distinguishing features. A central hypothesis of rulebased generative phonology is that rules have. Minimalism and optimality theory hans broekhuis and ellen woolford to appear in the cambridge handbook of generative syntax final version. Merging sequences by length is the same as joining trees by frequency in huffman coding. Krueger, john 1962 yakut manual uralic and altaic series vol 21 indiana university. Its basic tenets were both familiar and revolutionary, and this has doubtless contributed to its success. Papers presented at glow 1978 2002 including alternates and invited speakers. An optimality theory analysis of the stress and length patterns of hixkaryana is. This article surveys the motivations for ot, its core principles, and the basics of analysis. Chapter two serves to highlight the history of constraints in studies of phonological development, which predates their current ascent to prominence in phonological theory. An introduction to optimal control ugo boscain benetto piccoli the aim of these notes is to give an introduction to the theory of optimal control for nite dimensional systems and in particular to the use of the pontryagin maximum principle towards the constructionof. Depending on how the constraints are ranked, outputs will be faithful to some features.
Markedness is built into grammars in the form of universal output constraints. Though originally developed from generative phonology, the principles of optimality theory have also been applied in studies of syntax, morphology, pragmatics, language change, and other areas. This is an introduction to optimality theory, whose central idea i. Optimality theory, in common with much recent work, shifts the burden from the theory of. Optimality theory is a general model of how grammars are structured. Lecture 2 theory of linear programming linear programming program, linear, theorem on alternative, linear programming duality 2. Advances in optimality theory is a new series designed to stimulate and promote research in this provocative new framework.
Pdf optimality theory and phonological acquisition researchgate. The most general of these insights centers on the results available from the study of the syllable, a core concept in generative phonology after the sound pattern of english noam chomsky and morris halle, new york. Firstly, to solve a optimal control problem, we have to change the constrained dynamic optimization problem into a unconstrained problem, and the consequent function is known as the hamiltonian function denoted. In optimality theory prince and smolensky 2004, the constraint complexonset kager 1999 punishes complex onsets. The data show an interesting double repair of the coda s taking place at word edges. Spanish under the framework of stratal optimality theory ot rubach1997. One point, already mentioned above, is the fact that ot has incorporated notions like markedness and output constraint which already played an important role in studies on child language phonology. It espouses a serialist view of morphology that is rejected by most current phonologists. Your book is focused on oldfashioned rewrite rules. Optimality theory on acquisition research, and this paper will therefore. Model of grammar optimality theory ot has been developed since the early nineties, by alan prince, paul smolensky, john mccarthy and others. Having only done rule based phonology, i didnt find optimality theory to be at all intuitive at first. It is traditionally described as having a mora as the unit of timing, with each mora taking up about the same length of time, so that the disyllabic.
When the two words in 2 combine, the stress pattern on one of the word alters. An initial version of this paper was read at the harvard. At appropriate points, kager distinguishes the different claims made by optimality theory and derivational theories. Archangeli 1997, tesar, grimshaw, and prince 1999, kager 1999. It also addresses some frequently asked questions about this theory and offers suggestions. Pro map maker by domdom modified empure sizes for easier map making. Optimality theory kager free ebook download as pdf file. Surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing demands or constraints. For example, let there be a set of sorted sequences of the following lengths. Kager says that unevenlamb is a cover constraint combining the effects of.
Pullum university of california, santa cruz we develop an extensible description logic for stating the content of optimalitytheoretic constraints in phonology, and specify a class of structures for interpreting it. Pay particular attention to the critiques of optimality theory. However, ot radically differs from earlier generative models in various ways. See also simple merge, ideal merge, huffman coding, greedy algorithm. Introduction the general research question which this paper addresses is the proper treatment of cases of opacity in which the triggering or blocking context for a phonological process is found in a paradigmatically related word. Notes on optimality theory college of the holy cross. What is the universal set of constraints in optimality theory. Model theory and the content of ot constraints christopher potts geo. Dynamic ot optimality theory tableau generator for latex.
Kager 1999 gives an entrylevel introduction to ot, mccarthy 2001 surveys. The first two chapters situate the research in its broader context, with an introduction by the editors providing a brief general tutorial on optimality theory. The fundamental idea behind ot is that surface forms of language. But in a language in which ident io nasal is dominated by both of the markedness constraints 41 and 42, any potential contrast of orality nasality in vowels will be fully neutralized, as is the case in allophonic variation. The central idea of optimality theory ot is that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing demands or constraints. Background linguistics, broadly speaking, explores all aspects of natural language. When vowel sequences arise through morphophonological concatenations in isindebele, hiatus may be resolved in one of three processes. A basic understanding of phonology and earlier rulebased derivational theories is assumed. Current linguistic theory takes the chomskyan view that there is a genetic predisposition. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Kager s explanations are clear, and he does a god job walking you through the various topics.
Concepts unique to the theory, including emergence of the unmarked. Vowel hiatus is a dispreferred phenomenon in many languages. It is argued that stratal ot is superior in modelling phonological processes that take place at the. This is an introduction to optimality theory, whose central idea is that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing constraints. Theory, in which markedness has no substantive status in the grammar, but functions as an external system of annotations on parameter values, evaluating a grammars complexity. This chapter first presents the basic assumptions of optimality theory in section 3. Constraint interaction in generative grammar, 19932004. There are far too many candidates, and no consensus at all on what there is to be constrained, how it is to be constrained, and what to do about exceptions and counterexamples.
Optimality theory at the syntaxdiscourse interface. A geometric introduction to ktheory daniel dugger contents preface 3 introduction 4 1. Optimality theory presented by ashour abdulaziz, eric dodson, jessica hanson, and teresa li overview introduction how to interpret ot historical development theory application pros and cons optimality theory central idea. Optimality theory was introduced in the 1990s by linguists alan prince and paul smolensky optimality theory. Given an underlying wordinitial consonant cluster, it is in conflict with max.
The prevailing nonsequential approach to phonology, the optimality theory, ot, is based not on rewrite rules but on constraints. Rene kagers textbook is one of the first to cover optimality theory ot, a declarative grammar framework that swiftly took over phonology after it was introduced. These notes explain the procedures and assumptions behind a valuable technique using in studying adaptation called optimality theory. Mccarthy university of massachusetts amherst abstract. The idea of trying to merge the system of optimality theory with that of cognitive psychology was too appealing to ignore. I used this a few years back in a graduate level phonology course.
December 9, 2010 1 introduction this chapter discusses the relation between the minimalist program mp and optimality theory ot and will show that, contrary to popular belief, mp and ot are not inherently. A surface form is optimal if it incurs the least serious violations of a set of constraints, taking into account their hierarchical ranking. Optimality theory kager excelente introducao a ot docsity. Optimality theory thisisanintroductiontooptimalitytheory,thecentralideaofwhich isthatsurfaceformsoflanguagere. For comments on a number of chapters, i am grateful to rene kager, and also mark harvey for. Optimality theory ot is an approach to linguistics that derives output forms from inputs on the assumption that there are many competing constraints on possible output forms. Word order is one of the major properties on which languages are compared and its study is fundamental to linguistics. It will provide a central outlet for the best new work by both established and younger scholars in this rapidly moving field. Optimality theory prince and smolensky 1993, mccarthy and prince 1993a,b turns markedness statements into the actual substance of grammars.
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