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The OCP and the Calculation of Identity

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The OCP and the Calculation of Identity

Noguchi, Hisako (2011) The OCP and the Calculation of Identity. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

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Abstract

The Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP) has generated much literature in phonology, however its history includes unjustified extensions. While applications of the OCP involve calculating segmental identity, the formulation of the OCP itself obfuscates the notion of segmental identity, thus allows unprincipled analysis. Alternative to the appeal to the OCP, two attempts have been made to tackle identity calculation. Feature Algebra by Reiss (2003) introduces quantificational statements in structural descriptions, enabling phonology to refer to arbitrarily similar segments. Bakovic's (2005) Optimality theoretic constraint dynamics focuses on the interaction between NoGem and Agree and treats partial/sufficient identity to be an emergent property.
Bakovic's model makes a typological prediction that languages that exhibit avoidance of partial geminates must have independent assimilation processes with respect to the features that are irrelevant to segmental identity. However, this predication is shown to be untenable. Formalization of NoGem brings to light that quantificational statements will be required in effect for the calculation of segmental identity.

Divisions:Concordia University > School of Graduate Studies
Item Type:Thesis (Masters)
Authors:Noguchi, Hisako
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M.A.
Program:Special Individualized Program
Date:August 2011
Thesis Supervisor(s):Hale, Mark and Reiss, Charles and Isac, Daniela
ID Code:15177
Deposited By: HISAKO NOGUCHI
Deposited On:21 Nov 2011 16:19
Last Modified:18 Jan 2018 17:35
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