Abstract:

This talk is intended as an introduction to Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky 1993/2004) and Harmonic Serialism (McCarthy 2010) on the basis of an opaque interaction between vowel lengthening and final devoicing in Friulian. The distribution of vowel length in Friulian is predictable from the underlying laryngeal specification of obstruents. In Friulian, stressed vowels are always short before underlyingly word-final voiceless obstruents. However, stressed vowels lengthen before underlyingly voiced word-final obstruents although obstruents devoice in this position. To account for this opaque interaction, I argue in favor of Harmonic Serialism, which combines constraint ranking with serial derivations, and present an analysis that explains vowel lengthening as a consequence of final devoicing.

Dr. Francesc Torres-Tamarit (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam und Meertens Instituut) hält diesen Vortrag im Rahmen des Forschungscolloquiums der Romanistischen Sprachwissenschaft.