| ROA: | 205 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Decomposing FootForm: Primitive constraints in OT |
| Authors: | Jason Eisner |
| Comment: | 29 pp. Proceedings of SCIL VIII, to appear in MITWPL. (29 May 1997) |
| Length: | 29 |
| Abstract: | FootForm Decomposed: Using primitive constraints in OT Jason Eisner - University of Pennsylvania jeisner@linc.cis.upenn.edu May 29, 1997 Proceedings of SCIL VII, New York University, April 1996 (to be published by MIT Working Papers in Linguistics). Hayes (1995) gives a typology of the world's metrical stress systems, which is marked by several striking asymmetries (parametric gaps). Most work on metrical stress within Optimality Theory (OT) has adopted this typology without explaining the gaps. Moreover, the OT versions use uncomfortably non-local constraints (Align, FootForm, FtBin). This paper presents a rather different and in some ways more explanatory typology of stress, couched in the restrictive framework of primitive Optimality Theory (OTP), which allows only primitive, radically local constraints. For example, Generalized Alignment is not allowed. The paper presents a single, coherent system of rerankable constraints that yields the basic facts about iambic and trochaic foot form, iambic lengthening, quantity sensitivity, unbounded feet, simple word-initial and word-final stress, directionality of footing, syllable (and foot) extrametricality, degenerate feet, and word-level stress. The metrical part of the account rests on the following intuitions: (a) iambs are special because syllable structure allows them to lengthen their strong ends; (b) directionality of footing is really the result of local lapse avoidance; (c) any lapses are forced by a (localist) generalization of right extrametricality; (d) degenerate feet are absolutely banned, but primary stress does not require a foot in all languages. An interesting prediction of (b) and (c) is that left-to-right trochees should be incompatible with extrametricality. This prediction is robustly confirmed in Hayes. |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | |
| Article: | Version 1 |