Course: TuTh 09:30-10:50, SBS 216
Instructor: Jeffrey Heinz, jeffrey.heinz@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: MW 4:30-6pm in IACS L160
Syllabus: pdf html
Course Log
07 May
05 May
28 Apr
26 Apr
- We began discussion of Chandlee and Jardine
2021
- We discussed how BMRS work (sections 2 and 3)
- We studied the arguments made that the if/then/else structure
essentially provides a series of licensing and blocking structures that
reflect competing pressures not unlike OT analyses
- We discussed why BMRS also avoid pitfalls of global
optimization.
21 Apr
- We finished our discussion of abstract vowels and Dide.
- We disscused Gorman 2026
analysis of Greek.
16 Apr
- We discussed HakhaLai.
- We discussed Kaye 1980.
14 Apr
- We previewed the rest of the class.
09 Apr
- We studied Turkish vowel harmony (pages 190-192 in Odden 2013.)
- The Hakha Lai pdf html assignment was distributed. It
is due April 28.
07 Apr
- We finished the discussion of downdrift and downstep.
- We began our discussion of harmony.
- Resources on harmony
- Formal grammars for vowel harmony
02 Apr
- We discussed representations
and rules
- We reviewed evidence that tones are autonomous from segments
- tonal mobility in Kikuyu
- tonal morphemes in Efik
- tonal stability in Ogbia
- tonal spans in Shona
- We discussed approaches in OT (see Yip 2002 chapter 4 and Marlo’s 2007 cautionary note.
- Downdrift and downstep
- Example from Hyman (2011:28) finds downstep where two H spans
meet.
- Other work argues downstep occurs in the “H, floating L, H”
configuration (e.g. Venda, Kenstowicz 1996).
31 Mar
- We covered some basics of tone, focusing on representational
issues and arguments from the autosegmentality of tone
- Kikuyu exercise
- Additional reading Hyman 2011
26 Mar
24 Mar
17 and 19 Mar – Spring Break
12 Mar
- We reviewed D&E’s analysis of ITB syllabification.
- We reviewed P&S’s analysis of ITB syllabification.
- For next Tuesday please read Strother-Garcia 2018.
- For a non-technical introduction to logical transductions, please
read Heinz 2025 before the
Strother-Garcia paper.
10 Mar
- We reviewed the course to date
- Architectures of classic OT, HS, HG
- How to do OT (analysis, presentation)
- Critiques of OT
- We previewed the next phase of the course on syllabification in ITB
- with rules
- with OT
- with logical transductions
- We discussed and analyzed syllabification in ITB html pdf
08 Mar
- We discussed Vaux’s critique of OT in regards to optionality and
ineffability.
- We revisited McCarthy’s critique of global optimization in classic
OT.
03 Mar
- We discussed why counterbleeding and counterfeeding is problematic
for classic OT, HG and HS.
- old handout on opacity in
OT
- We briefly introduced stratal OT.
26 Feb
- We discussed Ilokano.
- We finished our discussion of Harmonic Serialism.
- We discussed Harmonic Grammar.
- For next week, please read Chapter 2 of Vaux and Nevins 2008 for a
critique of OT. On Tuesday we will focus on the arguments regarding
opacity, optionality, and ineffability, but Q&A on any aspect of the
chapter is welcome.
24 Feb
- Class canceled because of the storm.
- The Ilokano assignment is now due Tuesday March 3 in class.
- Please also read the first two sections of Pater 2016 for an introduction to
Harmonic Grammar for Thursday Feb 26.
19 Feb
We continued discussing the Ilokano assignment pdf html due Thursday, February 26 during
class.
We discussed McCarthy
2010 on Harmonic Serialism.
- What is HS? How is a surface form calculated from an underlying
form?
- Considering the stress-syncope interaction in Macushi Carib, what is
McCarthy’s argument for intermediate representations?
- Why does McCarthy say HS provides a more restrictive typology than
classic parallel OT?
- Why does McCarthy pinpoint global optimization as a flaw of classic
parallel OT?
17 Feb
- We discussed the Lezgian assigment. Here are some general comments.
- We discussed Chapter 3 of McCarthy 2008.
- how to organize a paper
- how to write an OT analysis
- good scholarship, criticism
- how to write clearly
- We discussed the current Ilokano assignment pdf html due Thursday, February 26 during
class.
- Read McCarthy 2010 on
Harmonic Serialism for Thursday. What are McCarthy’s main arguments for
HS?
12 Feb
- We concluded discussion of Chapter 2 of McCarthy 2008 and the relevant
excerpts.
- In particular we dicussed:
- constraints in ranking arguments
- inputs in ranking arguments
- richness of the base
- contrast in OT
- finding and fixing problems, what to check
- recursive constraint demotion
- logic of constraint ranking (time permitting)
- Your next squib assignment is on Ilokano pdf html and it is due Thursday, February
26 during class. Please print a physical copy of your
assignment and turn it into me then.
- For next Tuesday, please read Chapter 3 of McCarthy 2008.
10 Feb
- We continued our discussion of McCarthy 2008 up to section
2.7.
- In particular we discussed:
- violation and comparative tableaux and Hasse diagrams
- the Yawelmani example illustrating how to come up with ranking
arguments
- limits of ranking arguents
- candidates in ranking arguments
- harmonic bounding
- Finish reading Chapter 2 of McCarthy 2008 (you may skip
section 2.9) by next Thursday, and be prepared to discuss the relevant
excerpts.
05 Feb
- We discussed Lezgian, due next Tuesday.
- We discussed excerpts from the first couple sections of McCarthy
2008, chapter 2.
- (optional) Rooij and Baggio
2021 on theorizing in cognitive science.
- For next Tuesday, please read up to section 2.7 (up to page 83) of
McCarthy 2008 and be
prepared to discuss the relevant excerpts.
- Finish reading Chapter 2 of McCarthy 2008 (you may skip
section 2.9) by next Thursday.
03 Feb
- We discussed any questions related to the intro handout.
- We discussed questions from McCarthy 2008, chapter 1.
- We intended to further discussed Lezgian, but did not, so we will
start off with this on Thursday.
- Read Chapter 2 of McCarthy
2008 up to and including section 2.2 (up to page 53). Be prepared to
disscuss the excerpts
from these sections.
29 Jan
- We went over the syllabus pdf html.
- We went over the introduction pdf html to this course.
- We began discussion of the Lezgian assignment pdf html due Tuesday, February 10 during
class. Please print a physical copy of your assignment
and turn it into me then.
- For Tuesday, please read Chapter 1 of McCarthy 2008 and be prepared
to discuss the following questions.
- Section 1.2 asks “Why Must Constraints Be Violable?” Is McCarthy’s
argument convincing? Why or why not?
- In section 1.3, McCarthy writes “OT itself does not say much about
the nature of constraints, beyond distinguishing between markedness and
faithfulness. OT is a theory of how constraints interact with one
another; it isn’t a theory of what the constraints are, nor is it a
theory of representations.” Why do you think this is or isn’t true, and
what does it mean for a theory of phonology?
- Section 1.4 claims the operations in GEN are “extremely general”.
Can you think of any reasonable limits to the operations GEN
employs?
- Section 1.6 ends with McCarthy arguing against positing highly
specific markedness constraints and says “The best practice in OT is to
state constraints in very general ways and then try to limit their
activity through interaction with higher-ranking constraints.” In the
specific case he discussed in Timugon Murut, how could one decide
between these two alternatives?
- Please bring any questions you have about chapte 1 to class.
27 Jan
- University canceled class due to Sunday’s snowstorm.