Program

Structure OT

• Constructs formal grammars directly from markedness principles

• Strongly universalist: inherent typology OT allows completely formal markedness-

based explanation of highly complex data

AcquisitionInitial state predictions explored through

behavioral experiments with infants

Neural Realization Construction of a miniature, concrete LAD

Program

Structure OT

•Constructs formal grammars directly from markedness principles

•Strongly universalist: inherent typology

OT allows completely formal markedness-based explanation of highly complex data

AcquisitionInitial state predictions explored through

behavioral experiments with infants

Neural Realization Construction of a miniature, concrete LAD

The Great Dialectic

Phonological representations serve two masters

Phonological Representation Lexico

nPhoneti

cs

Phonetic interface

[surface form]

Often: ‘minimize effort (motoric & cognitive)’;

‘maximize discriminability’

Locked in conflict

Lexical interface

/underlying form/

Recoverability: ‘match this invariant

form’

FAITHFULNESSMARKEDNESS

OT from Markedness Theory

• MARKEDNESS constraints: *α: No α• But exactly when is α avoided? And exactly how?• FAITHFULNESS constraints

– Fα demands that /input/ [output] leave α unchanged (McCarthy & Prince ’95)

– Fα controls when α is avoided (and how)

• Interaction of violable constraints: Ranking – α is avoided when *α ≫ Fα

– α is tolerated when Fα ≫ *α

– M1 ≫ M2 : combines multiple markedness dimensions

– Fα ≫ Fβ : determines how α is avoided (when it is)

OT from Markedness Theory

• MARKEDNESS constraints: *α• FAITHFULNESS constraints: Fα

• Interaction of violable constraints: Ranking – α is avoided when *α ≫ Fα – α is tolerated when Fα ≫ *α – M1 ≫ M2: combines multiple markedness

dimensions– Fα ≫ Fβ : determines how α is avoided (when it is)

• Typology: All cross-linguistic variation results from differences in ranking – in how the dialectic is resolved (and in how multiple markedness dimensions are combined)

OT from Markedness Theory

• MARKEDNESS constraints• FAITHFULNESS constraints• Interaction of violable constraints: Ranking • Typology: All cross-linguistic variation

results from differences in ranking – in resolution of the dialectic

• Harmony = MARKEDNESS + FAITHFULNESS – A formally viable successor to Minimize

Markedness is OT’s Maximize Harmony (among competitors)

Markedness Theory from OT

Explanatory goals achieved by OT• Individual grammars are literally

and formally constructed directly from universal markedness principles

• Inherent Typology : Within the analysis of phenomenon Φ in language L is inherent a typology of Φ across all languages

Program

Structure OT

• Constructs formal grammars directly from markedness principles

• Strongly universalist: inherent typology OT allows completely formal

markedness-based explanation of highly complex data

AcquisitionInitial state predictions explored through

behavioral experiments with infants

Neural Realization Construction of a miniature, concrete LAD