Hidden Generalizations: Phonological Opacity in Optimality Theory (Advances in Optimality Theory) - Hardcover

McCarthy, John J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845530519 ISBN 13: 9781845530518

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2007

Synopsis

Hidden Generalizations is the first monograph devoted exclusively to the problem of phonological opacity. Opacity arises when the conditions for or results of an active phonological process are not evident in the speech signal. Opacity is particularly important in Optimality Theory, which lacks the standard means of analyzing opacity, rule ordering. This book is a thorough reexamination of phonological opacity. It finds insights in the extensive literature on rule interaction of the 1970's. It describes and critiques the oft-voiced opinion that there are no authentic cases of opacity. It evaluates representational approaches to opacity that emerged in the 1980's. Primarily, though, it discusses various ideas about opacity in OT and offers a new proposal, candidate chain theory. This proposal is illustrated and tested with analyses of the phonology of several Semitic languages.

About this title

About the Author

John J. McCarthy is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is the author of A Thematic Guide to Optimality Theory (Cambridge, 2002) and editor or co-editor of four books, including Optimality Theory in Phonology: A Reader (Blackwell, 2003).

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1845530519
• ISBN 13: 9781845530518
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 254