A Thematic Guide to Optimality Theory (Research Surveys in Linguistics)

This book describes Optimality Theory from the top down, explaining and exploring the central premises of OT and the results of their praxis. Examples are drawn from phonology, morphology, and syntax, but the emphasis throughout is on the theory rather than the examples, on understanding what is special about OT and on equipping readers to apply it, extend it, and critique it in their own areas of interest. To enhance the book's usefulness for researchers in allied disciplines, the topdown view of OT extends to work on first- and second-language acquisition, phonetics and functional phonology, computational linguistics, historical linguistics, and sociolinguistics. Furthermore, to situate OT for those coming from other traditions, this book also contains much discussion of OT's intellectual origins, its predecessors, and its contemporary competitors. Each chapter concludes with extensive suggestions for further reading, classified by topics, and supplemented by a massive bibliography (over 800 items). The book ends with a list of frequently asked questions about Optimality Theory, with brief answers and pointers to a fuller treatment in the text. This book describes Optimality Theory from the top down, explaining and exploring the central premises of OT and the results that follow from them. Examples are drawn from phonology, morphology, and syntax, but the emphasis throughout is on the theory rather than the examples, on understanding what is special about OT and on equipping readers to apply it, extend it, and critique it in their own areas of interest. The book's coverage extends to work on first- and second-language acquisition, phonetics and functional phonology, computational linguistics, historical linguistics, and sociolinguistics. Chapters conclude with extensive suggestions for further reading, classified by topic, and are supplemented by a massive bibliography (over 800 items). Cover Page......Page 1 Title Page......Page 6 Copyright data......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 How to Use This Book......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Prologue......Page 16 1. The Core of Optimality Theory......Page 18 2. The Context of Optimality Theory......Page 63 3. The Results of Optimality Theory......Page 81 4. The Connections of Optimality Theory......Page 207 Epilogue......Page 252 Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions......Page 254 Appendix B: Symbols and Abbreviations......Page 262 References......Page 266 Index of Names......Page 314 Index of Constraints......Page 320 Index of Languages......Page 322 Index of Topics......Page 324 "In this comprehensive survey, Carlos Gussenhoven provides an up-to-date overview of research into tone and intonation, discussing why speakers vary their pitch, what pitch variations mean, and how they are integrated into our grammars. He also explains why intonation in part appears to be universally understood, while at other times it is language-specific and can lead to misunderstandings."--Jacket 1. The Core Of Optimality Theory -- 2. The Context Of Optimality Theory -- 3. The Results Of Optimality Theory -- 4. The Connections Of Optimality Theory. John J. Mccarthy. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 251-298) And Indexes.

Explains and explores the central premises of OT and the results of their praxis.