Every ranking of constraints is predicted to be a possible language.Constraint re-ranking captures cross-linguistic variation and typology.There are no language-particular restrictions on URs.The mechanism for choosing the optimal candidate is universal.The mechanism of candidate generation is universal.The ranking of constraints is the only way languages differ from one another (except for vocabulary).When we construct a ranking for a particular language, we describe only the rankings that are necessary to generate the attested mappings, narrowing down the space of possibilities.It’s nearly always the case that a set of mappings can be generated by many different strict total orders of constraints.Important to note: although each language has the same ranking of constraints for every part of the language, we usually cannot discover a single strict total order of constraints.A particular language has the same ranking of constraints for all parts of the language.The ranking of constraints accounts for the segmental inventory of a language, its phonotactics, and its alternations.Constraint interaction aims to capture all aspects of the phonological system in a language.If constraint A is ranked above constraint B, we say that A dominates B, and can write this with a much-greater-than symbol: A ≫ B.What happens if the constraint “Don’t devoice” takes priority over “Don’t end a word with a voiced obstruent”?.What happens if the constraint “Don’t end a word with a voiced obstruent” takes priority over “Don’t devoice”?.When two constraints have conflicting requirements, satisfaction of the higher ranked constraint takes priority (no exceptions!).If A ranks above B, and B ranks above C, then A ranks above C. Either A ranks above B, or B ranks above A. For every pair of contraints, A and B, there is an ordering between them.Constraints are in a strict ranking (strict total order).“Don’t end a word with a voiced obstruent,” or deviating from URs, e.g. Constraints penalize marked structures in SRs, e.g.

The grammar generates mappings via a strict ranking of violable constraints.

The optimal candidate is the output of the grammar.Pick the optimal candidate, the candidate that is best according to the constraint ranking for the language.Generate a set of candidates (possible outputs).Keep in mind that nearly every imagineable revision to OT assumptions has been pursued at some point in the past 20+ years, and much of the research in OT has been devoted to answering the question “What are the constraints?”.Generalized Alignment (McCarthy & Prince 1993), which introduced alignment constraints.Correspondence Theory (McCarthy & Prince 1995), which revised faithfulness constraints.Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky 1993).We’re going to be discussing what’s sometimes called Classic Optimality Theory, consisting of:.I hear the voices and I read the front page and I know the speculation but I’m the decider and I decide what is best.' I say I listen to all voices but mine’s the final decision.

Gothic 1 optimal controls