Markedness and Word Structure: OCP Effects in Japanese
 

Junko Ito and Armin Mester

University of California, Santa Cruz





This paper develops an optimality-theoretic conception of OCP-effects 
 as due to multiply violated markedness constraints, enhanced by self-
 conjunction. Locality issues are studied in relation to the hierarchy 
 of grammatical domains, as provided by an economy-based theory of word 
 structure. The analytical focus is on dissimilation phenomena in 
 Japanese, with additional applications of the theory to other 
 languages.