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Locality in metrical typology
, 2009
"... Recent work in metrical typology within Optimality Theory has emphasised the rhythmic distribution of stress peaks by reference to clashes and lapses, compared to the more central role of foot constituency characteristic of most previous approaches. One consequence of this emphasis has been the intr ..."
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Cited by 10 (4 self)
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Recent work in metrical typology within Optimality Theory has emphasised the rhythmic distribution of stress peaks by reference to clashes and lapses, compared to the more central role of foot constituency characteristic of most previous approaches. One consequence of this emphasis has been the introduction of constraints that require reference to non-adjacent objects in the representation, such as two unstressed syllables plus a word edge or a stress peak. I argue here for a constraint-based approach to metrical typology that permits only strictly local formulations. This approach requires increased reference to foot structure, while maintaining local reference to clashes and lapses. The revised set of constraints predicts a larger set of possible stress systems, but correctly includes an attested iambic pattern excluded by recent theories.
Cognitive and Sub-Regular Complexity
"... Abstract. We present a measure of cognitive complexity for subclasses of the regular languages that is based on model-theoretic complexity rather than on description length of particular classes of grammars or automata. Unlikedescriptionlengthapproaches,thiscomplexitymeasure is independent of the im ..."
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Abstract. We present a measure of cognitive complexity for subclasses of the regular languages that is based on model-theoretic complexity rather than on description length of particular classes of grammars or automata. Unlikedescriptionlengthapproaches,thiscomplexitymeasure is independent of the implementation details of the cognitive mechanism. Hence, it provides a basis for making inferences about cognitive mechanisms that are valid regardless of how those mechanisms are actually realized. 1
Learning left-to-right and right-to-left iterative languages
"... Abstract. The left-to-right and right-to-left iterative languages are previously unnoticed subclasses of the regular languages of infinite size that are identifiable in the limit from positive data. Essentially, these language classes are the ones obtained by merging final states in a prefix tree an ..."
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Abstract. The left-to-right and right-to-left iterative languages are previously unnoticed subclasses of the regular languages of infinite size that are identifiable in the limit from positive data. Essentially, these language classes are the ones obtained by merging final states in a prefix tree and initial states in a suffix tree of the observed sample, respectively. Strikingly, these classes are also transparently related to the zero-reversible languages because some algorithms that learn them differ minimally from the ZR algorithm given in Angluin (1982). Second, they are part of the answer to the challenge provided by Muggleton (1990), who proposed mapping the space of language classes obtainable by a general statemerging algorithm IM1. Third, these classes are relevant to a hypothesis of how children can acquire sound patterns of their language—in particular, the hypothesis that all phonotactic patterns found in natural language are neighborhood-distinct (Heinz 2007). 1
What complexity differences reveal about domains in language
, 2012
"... An important distinction between phonology and syntax has been overlooked. All phonological patterns belong to the regular region of the Chomsky Hierarchy but not all syntactic patterns do. We argue that the hypothesis that humans employ distinct learning mechanisms for phonology and syntax currentl ..."
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An important distinction between phonology and syntax has been overlooked. All phonological patterns belong to the regular region of the Chomsky Hierarchy but not all syntactic patterns do. We argue that the hypothesis that humans employ distinct learning mechanisms for phonology and syntax currently offers the best explanation for this difference. 1 A role for phonology in cognitive science Whenitcomestotheproblemofhowhumanslearnlanguage, itappearsmanycomputational learning theorists, cognitive scientists, and psychologists are primarily occupied with the problem of how humans learn to put words and morphemes together to form sentences. In this article we argue that a further understanding of how sounds are put together to form words also bears directly on fundamental questions in cognitive science. In particular, we argue that computational analysis of the typology of patterns in phonology, when compared to the typology of patterns in syntax, reveals that cognitive learning mechanisms are likely multiple and modular in nature. The skew that many researchers exhibit towards morpho-syntax may really be a skew towards studying meaning. But we believe that it is because phonological systems impose different sound patterns in different languages without contributing to meaning that they are especially interesting. That is, phonology is about “Rules without Meaning ” in Frits Staal’s (1989) terms. We also believe that an apparent lack of teleological purpose in phonology is what lessens its appeal to the outside. A good discussion of the strangeness of studying phonology is provided inKaye (1989)where he considers what a programming languagelike BASIC would The authors thank Jim Rogers for valuable discussion and an anonymous reviewer and Nick Chater for
ComputationalCharacterizationsofVowelHarmony
"... This paper provides a computational analysis of 39 attested vowel harmony patterns in a recent typological analysis (Nevins, 2010), in addition to two unattested harmony patterns which have attracted considerable discussion: ‘majority rules ’ (Lombardi, 1999; Baković, 2000) and ‘sour grapes ’ (Padge ..."
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This paper provides a computational analysis of 39 attested vowel harmony patterns in a recent typological analysis (Nevins, 2010), in addition to two unattested harmony patterns which have attracted considerable discussion: ‘majority rules ’ (Lombardi, 1999; Baković, 2000) and ‘sour grapes ’ (Padgett, 1995). It is shown that these attested patterns, unlike the two unattested ones, are subsequential. We
Evidence for Classifying Metathesis Patterns as
"... This paper presents a computational analysis of metathesis patterns that distinguishes three categories of metathesis that differ in their computational complexity. These categories are local metathesis, bounded long distance metathesis, and unbounded long distance metathesis. Using the formalism of ..."
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This paper presents a computational analysis of metathesis patterns that distinguishes three categories of metathesis that differ in their computational complexity. These categories are local metathesis, bounded long distance metathesis, and unbounded long distance metathesis. Using the formalism of finite state automata, it is established that the first two categories are subsequential, while
Logic and the Generative Power of Autosegmental Phonology*
"... The current study examines the generative power of Autosegmental Phonology (Goldsmith, 1976, 1979, 1990) in the framework of Formal Language Theory, with which we can study the computational complexity of phonological phenomena and formalisms independent of specific theoretical frameworks in phonolo ..."
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The current study examines the generative power of Autosegmental Phonology (Goldsmith, 1976, 1979, 1990) in the framework of Formal Language Theory, with which we can study the computational complexity of phonological phenomena and formalisms independent of specific theoretical frameworks in phonology. A methodology for a model-theoretic study of autosegmental phonology with monadic second-order logic