LSTL 40: Optimality Theory and Phonetics-Phonology Interface

Optimality Theory and Phonetics-Phonology Interface

Štefan Beňuš
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra

The book presents Optimality Theory (OT) as the most influential recent framework for theoretical phonological analyses, and proposes an OT model for analyzing the relationship between continuous and discrete aspects of the cognitive system of human speech. The first three chapters present the essential OT tools and practical descriptions of their use in data analysis. The fourth chapter is the core of the book. It starts with a detailed description of the phonological and phonetic properties of transparent vowels /i/ and /e/ in Hungarian vowel harmony. Then, it proposes extensions of the OT tools using the notions of non-linear dynamics. Finally, the chapter presents a formal OT model that accounts for the relationship between the phonetic and phonological characteristics of transparent vowels.

Štefan Beňuš has received PhD in linguistics from New York University and is currently an assistant professor at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia. His main research interests include laboratory phonology and the relationship between prosody and pragmatic functions of speech.

Contents

0. Preview

1. Introduction

2. Optimality Theory
2.1. Optimality Theory and real life decision making
2.2. OT and phonology
2.2.1. OT constraints: Faithfulness and markedness
2.2.2. Input-output mapping and other characteristics
2.3. OT vs. SPE

3. OT and the interface between phonetic-phonology
3.1. Discretization (chunking) of continuous phonetic dimensions
3.2. Representation of speech sounds

4. Integrating OT and dynamics: the case of Hungarian vowel harmony
4.1. Phonology and phonetics of Hungarian transparent vowels
4.1.1. Phonological description
4.1.2. Review of some formal analyses of transparency in palatal harmony
4.1.3. Phonetic observations
4.1.3.1. Articulatory characteristics of transparent vowels
4.1.3.2. Perceptual characteristics
4.2. Explaining the observed Hungarian patterns: Phonetic nature of Transparency
4.3. OT tools for the analysis of Hungarian
4.3.1. Dynamic definition of OT constraints and their evaluation
4.3.2. OT constraints for vowel harmony and their evaluation
4.3.3. Markedness constraint: AGREE
4.3.3.1. Stem-internal harmony
4.3.3.2. Stem-suffix harmony
4.3.4. Faithfulness IDENT constraints
4.3.5. Phonological categories and dynamic OT
4.3.6. Summary of the developed OT tools
4.4. OT analysis of Hungarian vowel harmony
4.4.1. Transparency
4.4.2. Opacity
4.4.3. Vacillation
4.4.4. Monosyllabic stems
4.5. Typological considerations
4.6. Summary of the OT model

5. Conclusions and future research

6. References

ISBN 9783895863950. LINCOM Studies in Theoretical Linguistics 40. 151pp. 2009.