scholarly journals One rule, two frequency effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Marjoleine Sloos
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Historical Change ◽  
Old High German ◽  
Front Vowel ◽  
Combined Model ◽  
Frequency Effects ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Exemplar Theory ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Current Change

The low-mid unrounded front vowel /ɛː/ in German (as in Bären) has been subject to change since Old High German. It slowly merged with the high-mid unrounded front vowel /eː/, but a reversal seems to have emerged recently. This paper investigates both historical and current change of the Bären vowel. Historical change is investigated through literature-based research; current change is examined through corpus-based research. This paper takes the approach of studying both grammatical context and frequency of use. The two major insights of this study are (i) that the BÄREN vowel has been subject to change for a long time and is still variable, and (ii) that frequency effects interact with grammar in an unexpected way. This interaction shows us how to proceed with hybrid grammar-lexicon modelling and I advocate a combined model of Optimality Theory and Exemplar Theory to account for this type of grammar-frequency interactions.

An OT-ET Analysis of Polish Singular-Plural Pairs

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xiaowen Ji ◽  
Jincheng Ni
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Combined Model ◽  
Analysis Pattern ◽  
Word Clouds ◽  
Exemplar Theory ◽  
Language Data ◽  
Object Of Study ◽  
Constraint Hierarchy ◽  
Linguistic Phenomenon

Optimality Theory (OT) and Exemplar Theory (ET) are two enchanting theories to many scholars, but each still faces criticism and remaining persistent problems. Application of both theories to areas in linguistics where conflicts may arise has been attempted, but still the suitability of combining the two theories to resolve contradictions awaits further analysis and verification. This article takes Polish singular-plural pairs as the object of study and argues in favor of an OT-ET combined model of analyzing the linguistic phenomenon. First, an underlying representation is identified to be the input in an OT analysis. Then two main changes are recognized between the input and output, and are regarded as instances of positional neutralization, and their relevant constraints and constraint hierarchies are presented. Following this, challenges are posed to OT despite its merits. It turns out that the combined OT-ET model works well, with historical development, underspecification, constraint hierarchy, and resemblance to existing word clouds, among others, all playing relevant parts. The current study adds to the extensiveness of language data analyzed for or against combining OT and ET, and sketches the analysis pattern of thus doing, with a view to offering more real-life language materials for an OT-ET combined model.

Phonologically conditioned allomorphy in the morphology of Surmiran (Rumantsch)

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
General Framework ◽  
Great Majority ◽  
Historical Change ◽  
Romance Languages ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Entire System ◽  
Verbal System ◽  
Extended Sense ◽  
Phonological Rule

Alternations between allomorphs that are not directly related by phonological rule, but whose selection is governed by phonological properties of the environment, have attracted the sporadic attention of phonologists and morphologists. Such phenomena are commonly limited to rather small corners of a language's structure, however, and as a result have not been a major theoretical focus. This paper examines a set of alternations in Surmiran, a Swiss Rumantsch language, that have this character and that pervade the entire system of the language. It is shown that the alternations in question, best attested in the verbal system, are not conditioned by any coherent set of morphological properties (either straightforwardly or in the extended sense of ‘morphomes’ explored in other Romance languages by Maiden). These alternations are, however, straightforwardly aligned with the location of stress in words, and an analysis is proposed within the general framework of Optimality Theory to express this. The resulting system of phonologically conditioned allomorphy turns out to include the great majority of patterning which one might be tempted to treat as productive phonology, but which has been rendered opaque (and subsequently morphologized) as a result of the working of historical change.

scholarly journals THE ORDER OF STUDY OF VOWEL SOUNDS IN INTRODUCTORY AND PHONETIC COURSES IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE (ON THE MATERIAL OF STATISTICAL AND DIACHRONIC STUDIES)

2018 ◽  
pp. 183-188
Author(s):  
Igor Peresada
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
German Language ◽  
Middle High German ◽  
Old High German ◽  
Single Root ◽  
German Word ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Statistical Frequency

Most ancient vowels in the period of the birth of the German language are revealed. The phonetic structure of a single-root German word in the Old High German and Middle High German periods of the development of the German language is described. The statistical frequency of using vowels in the above periods has been determined. Key words: vowels and consonants, Old High German and Middle High German periods, frequency of use

scholarly journals An Optimality Analysis of the Phonology of French Loanwords as Manifested in the Eastern Part of Algeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Sara Kessar ◽  
Radwan S. Mahadin
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Front Vowel ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Nasal Vowels ◽  
Vowel Raising ◽  
Place Assimilation ◽  
Vowel Deletion ◽  
Spoken Arabic ◽  
Phonological System

The present study sheds lights on the French loanwords which are integrated in the Algerian Spoken Arabic (ASA), particularly the dialect spoken in the Eastern part. It identifies the phonological processes used to adapt them within an Optimality Theory (OT) framework. A thorough scrutiny of the data indicated that the French loanwords underwent a number of adaptations to fit into the phonological system of the Algerian Arabic. Moreover, the results revealed that this nativization process involves a number of phonological processes, namely unpacking of nasal vowels, nasal place assimilation, vowel deletion, front vowel raising, voicing, devoicing and stopping, in addition to lateral assimilation. The application of optimality framework as to explicate the adaptations of French loanwords has shown that they emanate from a steady conflict between the faithfulness constraints, which condition the preservation of original input forms, and the markedness constraints describing the Algerian Arabic marked phonological system.

Ratio Frequency: Insights into Usage Effects on Phonological Structure from Hiatus Resolution in New Mexican Spanish

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Alba
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Impact Structure ◽  
Mexican Spanish ◽  
Frequency Effects ◽  
New Mexican ◽  
Hiatus Resolution ◽  
Token Frequency ◽  
Phonological Structure ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Word String

AbstractMounting evidence shows that frequency of use plays a fundamental role in shaping linguistic structure, including phonological structure (cf. Bybee 2001). Because the study of frequency effects is relatively new, our understanding of how they impact structure continues to be refined. This study explores the effects of several frequency measures on the resolution of hiatus between words in Spanish, and reveals that in addition to the traditional phonological factors, frequency is also involved. Multivariate analyses show that ratio frequency - or the frequency of a two-word string relative to that of one of the words it contains - is a better indicator than straightforward token frequency of the likelihood that the string will be processed as an autonomous unit and undergo concurrent phonological reduction. These findings build on a usage-based model of language, providing important insights into the nature of lexical storage and how this relates to linguistic variation and change.

scholarly journals From Substance to Computation: Internalization and Hierarchical Structure in Evolutionary Phonology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shin-ichi Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Language Evolution ◽  
Hierarchical Structures ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Historical Change ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Sound Structure ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One ◽  
Computational Systems

AbstractIn the history of phonological theory, the paradigm of computational systems has shifted in tandem with a better understanding of substantive issues such as typology, acquisition, social variation, and historical change in sound structure. The paradigm shift in the past 50 years can simply be characterized as the one from ‘serial derivation by rules’ to ‘parallel evaluation by constraints,’ and now Optimality Theory (OT) focusses on substantive issues by improving its phonetic groundings and has ceased groping for a better mode of computation. This is because OT is primarily a substantive theory of CON, and at least in its standard version, the computational systems of Eval and GEN are merely ‘given assumptions.’In this article, we will overview some arguments against OT in substantive respects. As an ultimate problem in substance, it cannot solve ‘the poverty paradox,’ which means the paradox of ‘the poverty of the stimulus’ in ontogeny and ‘the poverty of the inheritance’ in phylogeny. Moreover, as a proximate problem in substance, certain gaps to be missed in syllable typology would erroneously be predicted to exist by OT. Alternatively, we will rethink the mode of computation in phonology and propose a new paradigm for phonology from the viewpoint of language evolution under a minimalist lens. Our proposal is based on Fujita’s (2016a, 2017) Hypothesis on Motor Control Origin of Merge in Language Evolution, which solves ‘the poverty paradox’ and thus satisfies both explanatory and evolutionary adequacy. We will demonstrate that substantive findings in OT can successfully be carried over to this scenario, in which the empirical problem concerning the typological gap is offered a reasonable explanation. We will also show that phonology has a vital role in computation and is not merely a subsidiary issue at the interface of the Sensory-Motor systems in linearization or externalization. We will take up one case for this claim: the English syllable CCVC has structural ambiguity, which means that phonology involves internalization with some mechanisms in order to create different hierarchical structures.

Processing latencies of competing forms in analogical levelling as evidence of frequency effects on entrenchment in ongoing language change

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-600
Author(s):  
Anne Krause-Lerche
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Frequency Effects ◽  
Current State ◽  
Linguistic Unit ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Repeated Use ◽  
Behavioural Tests

AbstractThe reason which is generally given in the usage-based literature to account for the retention of irregularity in high frequency items during analogical change isentrenchment: a frequently occurring irregular linguistic unit resists analogical levelling because it is highly entrenched in speakers’ mental lexicons through its repeated use. Although previous research similarly suggests that the entrenchment of irregular and regularised forms competing during analogical levelling should be proportional to their frequency of use, evidence for this relation between frequency and entrenchment comes exclusively from corpus-based studies; what is missing, therefore, are behavioural tests contrasting the competing innovative and conservative forms. The present paper aims to provide converging evidence for an entrenchment-based explanation of frequency patterns in analogical change on the basis of data obtained from an experiment in which participants are presented with traditional and analogical variants of a variable currently undergoing analogical levelling. Differences in processing latencies obtained during the experiment are interpreted as differences in entrenchment. The results provide i) evidence in favour of the prevalent entrenchment-based explanation of the conserving effect of frequency in analogical change, and ii) evidence of the current state and spread of the change under investigation.

scholarly journals Input Optimisation: phonology and morphology

Phonology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-491
Author(s):  
Michael Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Frequency Effects ◽  
Corpus Data ◽  
Phonological Complexity

In this paper, I provide a unified account of three frequency effects in phonology. First, typologically marked elements are underrepresented. Second, phonological changes are underrepresented. Third, morphologically conditioned phonological changes are overrepresented. These effects are demonstrated with corpus data from English and Welsh. I show how all three effects follow from a simple conception of phonological complexity. Further, I demonstrate how this notion of complexity makes predictions about other phenomena in these languages, and that these predictions are borne out. I model this with traditional Optimality Theory, but the proposal is consistent with any constraint-based formalism that weights constraints in some way.

scholarly journals Asymmetry of Kazakh velar and uvular consonants

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Yawney
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Final Position ◽  
Front Vowel ◽  
Environment Effect ◽  
Markedness Constraint ◽  
Back Vowel ◽  
Morpheme Boundary

Little descriptive work has been done on the place and voicing restrictions of the asymmetrical velar and uvular consonant inventory in Kazakh. In Kazakh, velar and uvular consonants are restricted depending on their neighbouring vowel. Velars appear in front vowel environments and uvulars appear in back vowel environments (place restriction). Voiced and voiceless velars and uvulars are restricted depending on their position in the word. At the morpheme boundary, velars and uvulars are voiceless in the word-final position and voiced in the stem-final position, when followed by a vowel-initial suffix (voicing restriction). The results from elicitation-based production experiments with six native Kazakh speakers reveal that the place restriction is not productive from real words to nonce words but the voicing restriction is. The data suggests a derived-environment effect where the resulting voicing process is conditioned morphologically. A theoretical analysis within Optimality Theory captures the voicing pattern using an indexed-markedness constraint and Local Conjunction.

scholarly journals User Experience (UX) dalam pemanfaatan fasilitas Informal Learning Space (ILS) perpustakaan

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Janu Saptari ◽  
Rini Iswandari ◽  
Ratna Setyawati
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Reading Room ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
Processing Data ◽  
Academic Activities ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Long Time

Introduction. User experience (UX) is often used as a consideration to measure the quality of library services related to the provision of other facilities and services. The provision of reading room service and informal learning space (ILS) is space in cafeteria, park, hall, lobby, and special room available in certain area. Utilization of ILS facilities needs to be measured for success based on user experience.Data Collection Method. The research was conducted by collecting questionnaires data and interview approach toward user population of ILS facility. The specified population is the user who is using the ILS facility in various areas available for one month.Data analysis. The data are included in the excel tabulation for further processing. Data from the excell tabulation were analyzed based on the research construct. From the analyzed data obtained an overview of the experience of utilization ILS library facilities.Results and Discussions. ILS facilities are used for study/academic activities. Frequency of use of ILS every day with a duration longer than 4 hours. Reasons for using ILS due to the availability of internet access. Opinion on the use of ILS due to convenience and more productive.Conclusion. The ILS utilization is due to the fact that internet facilities, comfort, and work are more productive, so ILS facilities are used every day for a long time.

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