Work

The Emergence of the Unmarked: Optimality in Prosodic Morphology

Year: 1994

Type: article

Abstract: This paper identifies and illustrates a key consequence of Optimality Theory called 'emergence of the unmarked'. In OT, a constraint can be active even if it is crucially dominated. A low-ranking markedness constraint, then, can decide between candidates, as long as they tie on all higher-ranking constraints. The linguistic structure that is unmarked with respect to this constraint can emerge in such circumstances.This notion is applied to a core problem in the theory of Prosodic Morphology, that of defining templates. The frequently encountered minimal-word template is shown to emerge from markedness constraints on prosodic structure. (Also see ROA-59, ROA-216, and ROA-236.)

Source: ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

DOI: 10.7282/t3z03663

Authors: McCarthy, John J., Prince, Alan S.

Institutions: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Language: English

Topic: Phonetics and Phonology Research

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W1546485226

FWCI: 22.89

Cites: 50

Cited by: 714

Related to: 10