Monthly Archives: November 2017

Bennett and DelBusso to appear: Typological effects of ABC constraint definitions

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/content/article/files/1700_bennett_1.pdf

ROA: 1326
Title: Typological effects of ABC constraint definitions
Authors: Will Bennett, Natalie DelBusso
Comment: Preprint to appear in Phonology
Length: 34 pp
Abstract: The plethora of recent work under the theoretical banner of ‘Agreement By Correspondence’ (ABC) has produced a variety of different–and sometimes contradictory–formulations of the constraints central to this framework. In OT, the effects of such definitional choices come out in the factorial typologies they predict. Yet knowing what languages a theoretical system derives is insufficient without knowing why it does so. This requires analysis of the internal ranking structures of the typology itself. This paper compares the typologies produced under different proposed modifications to the main ABC constraints. We analyze the typologies in Property Theory, a theory of typological organization in OT. Our analyses show that all such ABC variations have a common core structure, and that differences in their factorial typologies reduce to differences in how this common structure expands and iterates for different features. This allows for precise delineation of how and why different definitions of ABC constraints affect typologies.
Type: Paper/tech report
Area/Keywords: typology, Agreement By Correspondence, Property Theory, Optimality Theory, harmony, dissimilation

Smith and Pater 2017: French schwa and gradient cumulativity

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/content/article/files/1702_smith_1.pdf

ROA: 1328
Title: French schwa and gradient cumulativity
Authors: Brian Smith, Joe Pater
Comment:
Length: 28 pp.
Abstract: We model the interaction of two phonological factors that condition French schwa alternations: schwa is more likely after two consonants; and schwa is more likely in the penultimate syllable. Using new data from a judgment study, we show that both factors play a role in schwa epenthesis and deletion, confirming previous impressionistic descriptions, and that the two factors interact cumulatively: they have a stronger effect together than alone. Treating each factor as a constraint, we find that their cumulative interaction in probabilistic space is better modeled with weighted rather than ranked constraints. To accomplish this, we characterize patterns of cumulativity in terms of how cumulativity affects probability. MaxEnt and Noisy HG can model the full range of cumulativity–sublinear, linear, and superlinear–while Stochastic OT can only model sublinear cumulativity. French schwa displays superlinear cumulativity, and as a result, the pattern is unobtainable in Stochastic OT. We find that the pattern of superlinearity is too extreme even for Noisy HG, leaving MaxEnt as the model with the closest fit to the experimental data.
Type: Paper/tech report
Keywords: Phonology, Variation, Stochastic OT, Harmonic Grammar, French

Alber 2017: The Book of BTT

ROA link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/article/view/1703

ROA: 1327
Title: The Book of BTT
Authors: Birgit Alber
Comment: File in form of Excel workbook xlsx
Length: 37 pp.
Abstract: The system BTT presents a basic model of the typology of Truncation, with emphasis on the role that Anchoring plays in it. In its assumptions about candidates, constraints and empirical matching, BTT is based on Alber&Arndt-Lappe (2012) and Alber&Arndt-Lappe (in prep.).
A single input is assumed, consisting of a five syllable string a b C d e, with C representing the main stressed syllable. Possible outputs are all contiguous substrings of a b C d e. Candidates are evaluated by three Anchor constraints, referring to the left and right edge, and the stressed syllable of the input. Anchor-Left and Anchor-Right are defined as constraints assigning violation marks for each syllable close to the left/right edge which is not realized in the truncated form. They are thus not Boolean, in nature, and therefore able to model gradient anchoring, encountered in truncation patterns of languages such as Russian or Czech (see Alber 2010, Alber&Arndt-Lappe 2012 for discussion). Candidates are evaluated by two size restrictor constraints, m.1s and m.2s, stating directly that outputs should be one or two syllables long.
The Factorial Typology of BTT consists of 10 languages which are first classified according to their extensional patterns and then analysed in terms of Property Theory (Alber&Prince 2015, ms.). Property analysis yields 5 Typological Properties, two of which refer to anchoring, three to the size of the truncated form. The particular interest of the property analysis of BTT lies in the fact that several of the uncovered Properties involve constraint classes derived from other Properties, in some cases in a recursive fashion.

Table of Contents
0. Overview
1. Gen and Con of BTT
2. Violation Tableaux and Optima
3. Factorial Typology and Grammars
4. Property Analysis
5. BTT Calculations
6. References
Type: Other
Keywords: typologies, formal analysis, truncation

Special session on South Asian Languages – Spring 2018 ASA

There will be a special session on South Asian Languages at the Spring 2018 Acoustical Society of America meeting (May 7-11, 2018; Minneapolis, MN). The abstract deadline is Monday, 20 November 2017, and the call for abstracts is at http://acousticalsociety.org/content/175th-meeting-acoustical-society-america. (ASA abstracts are very brief, just 200 words.) The session description:
“South Asian languages (SAL) test the limits of current phonetic theory due to their complex array of features, pervasive multilingualism, and sparse descriptions. We solicit research in all SAL areas, including but not limited to prosody, phonation type, tone, & their interactions; breathy voiced segments; degrees of retroflexion & its perception.”

The format is yet to be determined, but is likely to include several talks and a poster session. We will encourage participants to publish their work in POMA (the Proceedings) or elsewhere.
If you or any of your students are working on relevant topics, please do submit absracts.
And—please help us spread the word by forwarding widely. Don’t hesitate to be in touch with any questions.
Best wishes,
Kelly Berkson, Indiana University (kberkson@indiana.edu)
Indranil Dutta, The English and Foreign Languages University
Christina Esposito, Macalester College
Sameer ud Dowla Khan, Reed College