Volume 20, Winter 1998

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Browsing Volume 20, Winter 1998 by Subject "Optimality theory (Linguistics)"

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    Calgary Working Papers in Linguistics, Volume 20, Winter 1998
    (University of Calgary, 1998-01) Blair, Leslie; Burns, Christine; Rowsell, Lorna V
    The editors of this volume, Leslie Blair, Christine Bums and Lorna Rowsell are pleased to present the twentieth issue of the Calgary Working Papers in Linguistics published by the department of Linguistics at the University of Calgary. The papers contained in this volume represent works in progress and as such should not be considered in any way final or definitive.
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    Italian word-initial consonant clusters in Optimality Theory
    (University of Calgary, 1998-01) Bortolin, Leah
    Despite the attention given to optimality theory (OT), only a small portion of prosodic theory has been addressed under this framework. It is my intention to discuss the implications of OT when it is applied to word-initial consonant clusters in Italian. Davis (1990) describes the restrictions placed on Italian word-initial consonant clusters by outlining syllable formation constraints and a language specific minimal sonority distance which is measured between two adjacent consonants. In this paper, I demonstrate that OT theory cannot apply a sonority hierarchy (or margin hierarchy) within the onset consitituent. That is, the theory cannot compare two adjacent elements within one constituent. By adding an affinity constraint, possible onsets and possible nuclei can be established under OT. Furthermore, lists of possible C1s and C2s can be provided; however, the model cannot ensure that minimal sonority distancing will be fulfilled.