Syllabus: Optimality Theory

Prerequisites: Advanced phonology.

This seminar will assume familiarity with Optimality Theory
(particularly with reference to the basic architecture, syllables,
metrical structure, and prosodic morphology) and will focus on
phenomena related to features (e.g. harmony, tone) and will develop
a particular approach to these phenomena known as "Optimal Domains
Theory" (and in somewhat related work by McCarthy as "Headed Span
Theory." Additional topics will include extensions of the notion
Faithfulness and the difficulties that "opacity" presents to the
theory.
A paper is required for this seminar that provides an OT
analysis of some aspect(s) of the phonology of a language of the
student's choice.