scholarly journals Exceptional Arabic Diminutive Forms of Nouns with [aa]: An Optimality-Theoretic Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Albatool Mohammed Abalkheel
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Theoretic Analysis ◽  
Syllable Weight ◽  
Morphological Processes ◽  
Arabic Dialects

Most diminutive forms in Arabic adhere in their derivation to certain simple phonological and morphological processes without any complications. However, there are exceptions to be found, including diminutive forms of nouns with [aa] in which the segment [w] surfaces. Using Optimality Theory (OT) as a framework and using syllable weight as a base of analysis, this study aims to provide an accurate explanation of such phenomena. This work will show that the root of words with [w] is not simply biconsonantal with an emphatic segment (i.e., [w]) inserted to fill the empty onset. Instead, the root is triconsonantal in which [w] is an essential segment. It also reveals that syllable-weight constraint is inviolable in Arabic dialects.

scholarly journals Compensatory Lengthening in OT and DOT: Loss of Dorsal Fricatives in Middle
or Early Modern English

2019 ◽  
pp. 47-61
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Kleban
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Syllable Weight ◽  
Early Modern English ◽  
Working Solution ◽  
Vowel Lengthening ◽  
Compensatory Lengthening ◽  
Lexical Phonology

The loss of dorsal fricatives in English held significant consequences for the adjacent tautosyllabic vowels, which underwent Compensatory Lengthening in order to preserve a syllable weight. While the process appears to be regular in descriptive terms, its evaluation handled within standard Optimality Theory highlights the ineffectiveness of the framework to parse both the segment deletion and two weight-related processes: Weight- by-Position and vowel lengthening due to mora preservation. As Optimality Theory has failed to analyse the data in a compelling manner, the introduction of derivation, benefitting from the legacy of Lexical Phonology, seems inevitable. The working solution is provided by Derivational Optimality Theory, which assumes a restrictive use of intermediate stages throughout the evaluation.

Serialism and locality in constraint-based metrical parsing

Phonology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Pruitt
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Standard Theory ◽  
Metrical Structure ◽  
Local Interactions ◽  
Local Systems ◽  
Stress Assignment ◽  
Syllable Weight ◽  
Harmonic Serialism ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Constraint Ranking

This paper proposes a model of stress assignment in which metrical structure is built serially, one foot at a time, in a series of Optimality Theory (OT)-style evaluations. Iterative foot optimisation is made possible in the framework of Harmonic Serialism, which defines the path from an input to an output with a series of gradual changes in which each form improves harmony relative to a constraint ranking. Iterative foot optimisation makes the strong prediction that decisions about metrical structure are made locally, matching attested typology, while the standard theory of stress in parallel OT predicts in addition to local systems unattested stress systems with non-local interactions. The predictions of iterative foot optimisation and parallel OT are compared, focusing on the interactions of metrical parsing with syllable weight, vowel shortening and constraints on the edges of prosodic domains.

Geminates and weight-manipulating phonology in Chuukese (Trukese)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Davis
Keyword(s):  
Theoretic Analysis ◽  
Syllable Weight ◽  
Minimal Word ◽  
Compensatory Lengthening

One of the main controversies regarding the phonology of geminates is whether geminates are best represented as being underlyingly moraic or as being a single consonant linked to two C-slots. One language that has played a major role in the discussion of geminate representation is the Micronesian language Chuukese, also known as Trukese. After reviewing the arguments for the moraic representation of Chuukese geminates, this chapter develops a comprehensive optimality-theoretic analysis of Chuukese quantity-manipulating phonology that includes an analysis of initial geminates, final mora deletion, syllable weight, the minimal word effect, compensatory lengthening, geminate throwback, and cases of variation.

scholarly journals Gemination in Bangla: An optimality Theoretic Analysis

1970 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somdev Kar
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Phonological Representation ◽  
Theoretic Analysis ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Lexical Items

This paper attempts to identify and analyze different types of gemination processes in Bangla. The focus is mainly on the phonological representation of sound combinations which forms a set of valid geminates in this language. I argue for three major types of gemination processes present in modern Bangla and a stratification strategy for the relavant lexical items based on their origin (SB, NB and OB, depending on the native vs. two type of borrowings). An analysis of these gemination processes are given in the framework of optimality theory (OT). Therefore, the constraint-based analysis of OT is organized in a threefold argument structure for each stratum. The conclusion is drawn towards an understanding of gemination processes of Bangla for different categories of lexical items and their phonological formuations.DOI: 10.3329/dujl.v1i2.3718 The Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics: Vol. 1 No.2 August, 2008 Page: 87-114

scholarly journals On the treatment of super-heavy syllables in Arabic Dialects: an Optimality Theoretic approach to historical typology

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 33-67
Author(s):  
Hassan Bokhari
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Geographic Distance ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Theoretic Analysis ◽  
Linguistic Difference ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Arabic Dialects

This study provides a historical typological Optimality Theoretic analysis of the treatment of potential super-heavy syllables in six Arabic varieties: Hijazi, Egyptian, Emirati, Kuwaiti, Algerian, and Palestinian. The analysis in this study uses the same violable OT constraints for all languages, and the differences between the grammars are represented by the order in which the constraints are ranked relative to one another. The similarities and differences between these varieties are examined from the point of view of one approach to historical OT (Cho 1998), which states that individual pairs of constraints may be ranked or unranked in relation to one another, one operation at a time, meaning that switching the order of two constraints takes two steps historically. According to Cho (1998, 45), “each step of a sound change should be viewed as a change in the ranking of constraints.” Cho’s approach in detecting the historical typological differences between varieties by counting the steps of constraint reranking is compatible with a common approach to historical linguistics. Specifically, Wichmann et al. (2010) provide a quantitative method for determining the geographic homeland of a group of related languages, which takes into account a simple linguistic-difference metric and the geographic distance between the languages. Using constraint reranking in place of Wichmann et al.’s linguistic-difference metric to calculate the homeland of Arabic dialects results in an area around Hijaz as the homeland of Arabic dialects, since Hijazi, Egyptian and Emirati dialects form a cluster of geographically close, but linguistically diverse dialects.

scholarly journals An Optimality Theoretic analysis of vowel harmony in Kazan Tatar

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Cassidy Henry
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Vowel Harmony ◽  
Theoretic Analysis ◽  
Turkic Languages ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Gradual Decay ◽  
Insight Into

Kazan Tatar is a Kipchak language spoken in the Republic of Tatarstan (Ethnologue). Previous literature has described a backness harmony system, with weak rounding harmony in the mid vowels (Comrie 1997, Berta 1998, Poppe 1968). This work utilizes novel data to investigate Tatar’s harmony under an Optimality Theory (OT) (Prince & Smolensky 1993) framework, contributing new observations regarding the lack of rounding harmony in Tatar, contrary to previous accounts. Through investigation of Tatar’s harmony system, we gain insight into the workings of the language’s phonology and find crucial evidence for the gradual decay of rounding harmony in Turkic languages.

The Templatic Syllable Patterns of Reduplication and Stem-affixing Inflections in the Classical Arabic Based on Prosodic Morphology Theory

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 2196
Author(s):  
Elkhas Veysi ◽  
Farangis Abbaszadeh
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Minimalist Program ◽  
Morphological Operations ◽  
Single Node ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Morphological Processes ◽  
Verbal Processes ◽  
Nonconcatenative Morphology ◽  
Formal Properties ◽  
Classical Arabic

A morpheme, is a set of feature matrices dominated by a single node. Reduplication or gemination is one of the productive morphological processes which have been studied inclusively in different languages and in the frame of different linguistic theories like Generative Grammar, Optimality Theory and Minimalist Program. McCarthy's prosodic theory is justified by an analysis of the formal properties of the system of verbal processes like reduplication are the primary or sole morphological operations. This theory of nonconcatenative morphology recognizing the root as a discontinuous constituent. Under the prosodic model, a morphological category which characteristically reduplicates simply stipulates an output template composed of vowel and consonant. Consonantal roots and vocalic melodies in Arabic, although they contain bundles of the same distinctive features, can nevertheless be represented on separate autosegmental tiers. This ensures that the association conventions for melodies can operate independently on these two tiers. Association of autosegments from different tiers to the same segments will be subject to the natural restriction that no segment receives multiple associations for the same nontonal feature.

scholarly journals Emphasis Harmony in Arabic: A Critical Assessment of Feature-Geometric and Optimality-Theoretic Approaches

Languages ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Hussein Al-Bataineh
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Natural Class ◽  
Semitic Languages ◽  
Consonant Harmony ◽  
Comprehensive View ◽  
Feature Geometry ◽  
Arabic Dialects

This overview article examines vowel-consonant harmony, specifically emphatic harmony (also referred to as pharyngealization, velarization, or uvularization), which is found in Semitic languages. It provides a comprehensive overview of emphasis harmony in Arabic dialects from feature-geometric and optimality-theoretic perspectives. From the feature geometric account, emphatic consonants are considered as a natural class within the guttural group that has the [pharyngeal] or [RTR] ‘retracted tongue root’ feature. This view has been questioned and challenged recently by some researchers who argue for the exclusion of emphatics from the guttural group. The different arguments discussed in this paper show that researchers cannot reach a consensus regarding which consonants belong to the guttural group and which features are shared between these consonants. This paper shows that studies adopting an optimality-theoretic perspective provide a more comprehensive view of emphasis harmony and its fundamental aspects, namely, directional spreading and blocking, spread from secondary emphatic /r/ and labialization. However, this paper reaches two main conclusions. Firstly, unlike feature geometry, optimality theory can provide a clearer picture of emphasis harmony in an accurate and detailed way, which does not only clarify the process in one Arabic dialect but also describe the differences between dialects due to the merit of (re)ranking of constraints. Secondly, emphasis harmony is different from one Arabic dialect to another regarding its direction, involvement of emphatic /r/, and labialization. These differences between dialects indicate that emphasis harmony is not an absolute phenomenon.

Epenthesis, Geminates, and the OCP in Finnish

1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heli Harrikari
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Consonant Clusters ◽  
Theoretic Analysis ◽  
Obligatory Contour Principle ◽  
Phonological Length

This study re-evaluates the representation of phonological length in Finnish in the light of Optimality Theory. The Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP) prohibits sequences of identical elements. It follows that long segments cannot be represented as sequences of two short segments, but must be interpreted monosegmentally (i.e. non-linearly). In Finnish, long segments have been traditionally represented bisegmentally, consequently violating the OCP. There are, however, phenomena in Finnish, such as dialectal epenthesis, which pattern long consonants with short ones rather than with bisegmental consonant clusters. This study provides an Optimality Theoretic analysis for dialectal epenthesis, and shows that the analysis predicts that monosegmental representation is the optimal way of representing long consonants in Finnish as well.

scholarly journals Word Stress in Qassimi Arabic: A Constraint-Based Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Reem Mohammed Alabeeky
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Surface Structures ◽  
Syllable Weight ◽  
Word Stress ◽  
Constraint Relation ◽  
Najdi Arabic ◽  
Stress Patterns

This study aimed to produce a formalism of word stress in Qassimi Arabic (QA), which is a sub-dialect of Najdi Arabic (NA), using a constraint-based approach. To this end, this paper investigated two main topics: The first topic explored word stress in QA. Word stress in QA, as well as in NA, is predictable; it can be determined by syllable weight and position. However, two cases do not conform to such straightforward stress rules. These cases are represented by the words: [ʔal.ʕa.sˤir] ‘afternoon’ and [ʔa.ʕa.rif] ‘I know’. Derivational analysis of these exceptions shows the importance of relating the surface structures of such forms to their underlying representations. The second topic aimed to make a formalism for stress patterns in QA using optimality theory (OT). Thus, QA word stress rules and their exceptions are translated into conflicting constraints that are ranked relative to one another by the use of constraint-relation tableaux. This ranking eventually produced the following constraint-relation hierarchy: Lx≈Pr, SYLLABLE-INTEGRITY, TROCHAIC, FAITH-PK >> NONFINAL >> *[ʔa. >> FTBIN-µ, WSP, ALL-FEET-RIGHT >> MAIN-RIGHT, PARSE-σ.

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