1. Optimality Theory

2. Linguistic theory in the 1990s... and beyond!

3. Optimality Theory Universal Grammar (UG) Innate ability to learn language If there are common patterns in language they must be part of UG. We are born with them

4. Optimality Theory Universal Grammar (UG) Innate ability to learn language If there are common patterns in language they must be part of UG We are born with them If there are uncommon patterns they must not be part of UG

5. Optimality Theory Variation Languages differ in how much they vary from common UG patterns Markedness Common patterns are unmarked Uncommon patterns are marked Unmarked patterns are though to show us what UG is like

6. Syllables Case study: syllable structure Languages vary in their syllable structure

7. Syllables Case study: syllable structure So, CV, CVC, CCV, are patterns in languages What patterns are not found? a language where all words are made up of consonant clusters followed by vowels a language where all words begin with consonant clusters

8. Syllables

9. Properties of Syllables These properties are tendencies, not absolutes

10. Properties of Syllables These properties are tendencies, not absolutes 1.Syllables begin with a C (ONSET) 1.have, found follow ONSET 2.all, orb violate ONSET

11. Properties of Syllables These properties are tendencies, not absolutes 1.Syllables begin with a C (ONSET) 1.have, found follow ONSET 2.all, orb violate ONSET 2.Syllables have one V (PEAK) 1.two, or follow PEAK 2.tklt (in Berber) violate PEAK

12. Properties of Syllables These properties are tendencies, not absolutes 1.Syllables begin with a C (ONSET) 1.have, found follow ONSET 2.all, orb violate ONSET 2.Syllables have one V (PEAK) 1.two, or follow PEAK 2.purr violates PEAK 3.Syllables end in a V (NO CODA) 1.throw, glee follow NO CODA 2.thrown, light violate NO CODA

13. Properties of Syllables These properties are tendencies, not absolutes 1.Syllables have one C the edge (*COMPLEX) (asterisk mean no, or doesn't have) 1.car, leak follow *COMPLEX 2.spill, ask violate *COMPLEX

14. Properties of Syllables These properties are tendencies, not absolutes 1.Syllables have one C the edge (*COMPLEX) (asterisk mean no, or doesn't have) 1.car, leak follow *COMPLEX 2.spill, ask violate *COMPLEX

15. Constraints In Optimality Theory (OT) constraints: are part of Universal Grammar can be violated languages differ according to what constraints are violated, and the rank among the constraints

16. Constraints In Yawelmani CV and CVC are OK CVCC and CC are not found

17. Constraints In Yawelmani CV and CVC are OK CVCC and CC are not found Violations of NO CODA are OK, but not violations of *COMPLEX and PEAK

18. Constraints In English violations of all syllable constraints is permitted

19. Constraints In generative phonology rules convert an underlying representation to a surface representation with rules

20. Constraints In generative phonology rules convert an underlying representation to a surface representation with rules Rules tell you what to do to the UR

21. Constraints In generative phonology rules convert an underlying representation to a surface representation with rules Rules tell you what to do to the UR In OT underlying representations are called inputs Constraints tell you what you can't do to convert an input to an output (surface form)

22. Faithfulness Constraints FAITHFULNESS says input and output must be identical FAITHV says input and output vowels must be same FAITHC says input and output consonants must be the same

23. Constraint Violation It's OK to violate a constraint if violating it satifies a higher ranking constraint Consider a language where PEAK, ONSET, *COMPLEX, FAITHC and FAITHV are on on the same ranking level, and they all outrank NOCODA To make a good syllable you could add a V or delete a C

24. Constraint Violation Dotted lines show constraints at same level Solid lines show different level Pointing finger shows optimal candidate * Shows violation *! shows fatal violation Shaded box shows irrelevant

25. Steps in OT Take the input and generate (GEN) an infinite number of possible outputs (add elements, delete them, modify them, anything goes) Evaluate (EVAL) them to see how well they follow or violate the constraints and rankings of the language. The output is the candidate that is optimal because it violates the fewest or lowest ranked constraints

26. OT's approach to linguistics Language variation exists because constraints are ranked differently in different dialects Language patterns arise because of language specific constraint rankings

27. What happens in Yawelmani when morphology puts three Cs together? FAITHV is lowest ranked so epenthesis is allowed

28. What happens in Spanish when morphology puts three Cs together? FAITHC is lowest ranked so deletion is allowed

29. What happens in English when morphology puts three Cs together? *COMPLEX is lowest ranked so CCC is allowed

30. What happens in Berber when morphology puts three Cs together? *PEAK is lowest ranked so /tf/ as a syllable is allowed

31. The difference between Yawelmani, Spanish, English, and Berber is the constraint ranking