Optimality theory a framework in theoretical linguistics, used to. Optimality theoretic representation of stress in cairene. These segments exemplify underparsing and are not phonetically realized, so b is pronounced simply as. Pdf an introduction to optimality theory in syntax researchgate. In this chapter the general ideas of the optimalitytheoretic approach in linguistics will be presented. Optimality theory is grammar about rules or constraints. Optimalitytheoretic syntax gereon muller universitat leipzig. Clinical application of optimality theory 243 optimality theory is different from the majority of linguistic frameworks in that it does not appeal to rules or processes to explain such patterns in grammar. Comparing frameworks, utrecht institute of linguistics ots. Otsoft optimality theory software department of linguistics. Constraints are the two approaches equivalent or are they fundamentally different. Constraint interaction in generative grammar, 19932004. Here are some of the basic premises of the theory as i construe it. Optimality theory in the analysis of four kinds of complex phenomenon.
Pdf optimality theory as a model for the historiography of. In linguistics, optimality theory frequently abbreviated ot. Optimality theory and morphology wiley online library. Proceedings of the stockholm workshop on variation within optimality theory, 25 36. Learnability in optimality theory 231 boundaries of syllables s. Mccarthy university of massachusetts amherst abstract. Jan 17, 2017 optimality theory ot is a wideemployed theoretical framework used in contemporary linguistics. Ot is a theory of constraint interaction in grammar, which aims to solve a couple of problems that have confronted generative phonological theory since its earliest days.
Optimality theory and language change studies in natural. The data show an interesting double repair of the coda s taking place at word edges. Optimality theory ot was developed and first applied to phonology by prince and smolensky 1993, and quickly attracted many researchers in phonology, but also in morphology and syntax, and, lately, also in semantics and pragmatics. Three important constraint families are explored faithfulness, alignment, and. 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.
This article provides an introduction to the model for the nonlinguist. Building on tesar, these conditions are derived in two steps. This article surveys the motivations for ot, its core principles, and the basics of analysis. The original reference for ot is prince and smolensky 1993. Optimality theory in phonology california institute of. As some editors pointed out in that discussion, optimality theory is typically written with both words capitalized in the. Case, agreement, object shift, and economy of structure and movement. The fundamental idea behind ot is that surface forms of language. Hayes stem stress and peak correspondence in dutch rene kager faithfulness and prosodic circumscription john j. Pdf optimality theory and computational linguistics. Optimality theory was introduced in the 1990s by linguists alan prince and paul smolensky optimality theory. Constraint interaction in generative grammar compiles the most important readings about optimality theory in phonology from some of the most.
Otsoft is a windows program meant to facilitate analysis in optimality theory and related frameworks by using algorithms to do tasks that are too large or complex to be done reliably by hand. Optimality theory in morphology and syntax dieter wunderlich berlin nov. Optimality theory the novel approach to linguistic theorizing known as optimality theory prince and smolensky 1993 appears to offer the prospect of a major change in this situation. A very short introduction to optimality theory, a linguistic framework that attempts to account for the grammar of human languages. He has published in journals such as linguistic inquiry, science, cognition, and critical inquiry paul smolensky is professor of cognitive science at johns hopkins university.
Optimality theory in phonological acquisition jhu computer. Pdf optimality theory as a model for the historiography. Optimality theory was introduced in the early 1990s as an alternative model of the organization of natural human language sound systems. Ot is often called a connectionist theory of language, because it has its roots in neural network research, though the relationship is now largely of. In optimality theory ot an adult phonology consists of a set of ranked constraints. The basic principles of optimality theory are introduced and explained gen, con, and eval. Bradley university of california, davis abstract this article surveys research in spanish phonology from the perspective of optimality theory, a formal linguistic framework based on ranked and violable constraints. Optimality theory constraint interaction in generative grammar first circulated. Morphologically governed accent in optimality theory outstanding dissertations in linguistics, new york. Compiles the most important readings about optimality theory in phonology from some of the most prominent researchers. A reader is a collection of readings on this important new theory by leading figures in the field, including a lengthy excerpt from prince and smolenskys neverbeforepublished optimality theory. Nov 30, 2016 in this weeks episode, we take a look at optimality theory. This paper establishes tight sufficient conditions for idempotency in classical optimality theory.
Although much of the interest in ot has been associated with its use in phonology the area to which ot was first applied, the theory is also applicable to other. Constraint interaction and satisfaction with alan prince, 1993 has been an important factor in the dissemination of optimality theory. Some of the basic motivations behind ot are to create a model for language analysis that is fairly generalizable and accounts for aspects of universal grammar mccarthy, 2007. Linguistic and cognitive explanation in optimality theory. Optimality theory optimality theory to reflect standard usage, this page should be located at optimality theory with both words capitalized rather than optimality theory. In this weeks episode, we take a look at optimality theory. Optimality theory ot is a linguistic model originally proposed by the linguists alan prince and paul smolensky in 1993. An idempotent phonological grammar maps phonotactically licit forms faithfully to themselves. First, idempotency is shown to follow from a general formal condition on the faithfulness constraints. Traditional models of grammar rely on complementary, unbreakable. Cantonese loan word phonology and optimality theory. Formal comparison and synthesis russell james norton a thesis submitted for the degree of doctor of philosophy department of language and linguistics university of essex july 2003. In linguistic s, optimality th eory frequently abbreviated ot. Oct 04, 2012 a very short introduction to optimality theory, a linguistic framework that attempts to account for the grammar of human languages.
This tutorial presents an introduction to the contemporary linguistic framework known as optimality theory ot. Optimality theory ot is a linguistic theory that provides a means of analyzing language in terms of ranked constraints instead of rule ordering. This paper describes the history of optimality theory as a theory of phonology between 1993. This book is the final version of the widelycirculated 1993 technical report that introduces a conception of grammar in which wellformedness is defined as optimality with respect to a ranked set of universal constraints. The universal set of constraints is on a par with the choir invisible. Optimality theory ot took centre stage in theoretical linguistics during the 1990s. Optimality theory ot has been developed since the early nineties, by alan. Using learnability as a filter on factorial typology. Optimality theory is a general model of how grammars are structured.
The basic formal element of the theory is the constraint. For example, you could start with karttunens paper the proper treatment of optimality in computational linguistics in the proceedings of fsmnlp98. Optimality theory as a model for the historiography of linguistics. The main idea is that grammars impose a set of restrictions on what are valid surface forms. If youre looking for a free download links of optimality theory and language change studies in natural language and linguistic theory pdf, epub, docx and torrent then this site is not for you. Optimality theory in phonological acquisition journal of. The first addresses recurring issues in phonological and linguistic analysis and sketches how optimality theory might account for these. Prince and smolensky 1993 introduced optimality theory ot as a framework for linguistic analysis. His widely cited but unpublished manuscript prosodic morphology i. Ot differs from other approaches to phonological analysis, such as autosegmental phonology and linear phonology spe, which typically use rules rather.
Its main argument is that there have been two lines of work on optimality theory. Language acquisition in optimality theory request pdf. In optimality theory ot the essence of both language learning in general learnability and language acquisition the actual development children go through entails the ranking of constraints from an initial state of the grammar to the languagespecific ranking of the target grammar. The ranking, but not the constraints, differs from language to language. Progressive place assimilation in optimality theory. 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. The basic assumptions of this constraintbased theory as.
This chapter presents an overview of optimality theory ot as applied to phonology. Alan prince is professor of linguistics and a member of the cognitive science center at rutgers university and is, along with paul smolensky, one of the founders of optimality theory. Idempotency in optimality theory 1 journal of linguistics. The article gives a brief summary of work dealing with morphosyntactic phenomena in ot, and also addresses more general problems. It also addresses some frequently asked questions about this theory and offers suggestions. The initial v and final c of the input are not parsed into syllable structure, as notated by the angle brackets kl. Selected proceedings of the 38th annual conference on african linguistics, ed. First, phonological grammar is not arranged in the manner of chomsky and halle 1968.
What is the universal set of constraints in optimality theory. This paper examines opaque examples of phraselevel phonology taken from chilean spanish under the framework of stratal optimality theory ot rubach 1997. Optimality theory in phonology alan prince and paul smolensky 1. Contrast in phonology theory, perception and acquisition avery, peter. Optimality theory, in common with much recent work, shifts the burden from the theory of. Optimality theory is usually considered a development of generative grammar, which shares its focus on the investigation of universal principles, linguistic typology and language acquisition. Optimality theory and the generative complexity of. Three important constraint families are explored faithfulness, alignment, and markedness.
A new approach to anderson and brownes generalization. Please contact staff and advisors who are available monday through friday 8 am to 5 pm. Optimality theory and african language phonology cascadilla. Given the architecture of generative phonology, which distinguishes between underlying lexical forms and. Historically, optimality theory develo ped out of a theory called harmonic grammar legendre et al. August, 2002 alan prince paul smolensky department of linguistics department of cognitive science rutgers cognitive science center the johns hopkins university. Optimality theory confronts these issues directly, designing its basic architecture to deal with them.
Optimality theory in linguistics is the theory that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing constraints. Derivational residue in phonological optimality theory ben hermans, marc van oostendorp. Within these broad goals, optimality theory ot develops in the context of. Compiles the most important readings about optimality theory in phonology from some of the most. 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. He is also the author of formal problems in semitic phonology and morphology 1985 and a thematic. One line was taking ot seriously as a theory on language variation, computation and learnability, and finding restrictions on it. Linguistic and cognitive explanation in optimality theory bruce tesar jane grimshaw alan prince generative linguistics aims to provide an analysis of the grammarforming capacity that individuals bring to the task of learning their native language chomsky 1965, 1981, 1991, 1995. Cycles, nonderivedenvironment blocking, and correspondence luigi burzio gradient wellformedness in optimality theory bruce p. Optimality theory software department of linguistics. The linguistics main office will be operating online through april 24. The rise of optimality theory ot shifted attention from theories of. Given the architecture of generative phonology, which distinguishes between underlying lexical forms and surface forms, and given the. Optimality theory optimality theory prince and smolensky 1993 ot is a theory of constraint interaction.
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