Description
TitleMostly Predictable: Cyclicity and the Distribution of Schwa in Itelmen
PublisherDepartment of Linguistics, California State University
Date Created1997-05
Extent15 p.
DescriptionThe Itelmen language shows many instances of regular schwa/zero alternations. Even though the language permits quite extensive consonant clusters, I argue in this paper that the alternating schwas (and perhaps all instances of schwa) are epenthetic; schwa is inserted to break up a disfavoured consonant cluster. The rule which inserts schwa must apply cyclically in the verbal system, but non-cyclically in the nominal system. Apparent examples of cyclic rule application are problematic for non-derivational, constraint-based approaches to phonology, such as many versions of Optimality Theory (OT). Thus, much recent work has been devoted to reanlayzing purported examples of cyclicity from an O.T. perspective. While it may be possible to devise an account of the Itelmen data in terms of parallel constraint evaluation, current O.T. approaches are insufficient; in particular, the best candidate for an explanation of the Noun/Verb differences (Base Identity) makes exactly the wrong predictions for Itelmen.
NoteBobaljik, J. D. (1996). Mostly predictable: Cyclicity and the distribution of schwa in itelmen. In V. Samiian (Ed.) Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Western Conference on Linguistics, Volume 9. (pp. 14-28). Fresno, CA: Department of Linguistics, California State University.
NoteThis work was supported by the National Council for Soviet and East European Research (grant to D. Koester) and the Milton Fund of Harvard University
GenreConference Paper or Lecture
LanguageEnglish
CollectionRutgers Optimality Archive
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
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