| ROA: | 220 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Word Order Typology in Optimality Theory |
| Authors: | João Costa |
| Comment: | |
| Length: | 17 |
| Abstract: | Word Order Typology in Optimality Theory João Costa Universidade de Lisboa & HIL\Leiden University This paper argues that Optimality Theory gives us the tools for a correct analysis of word order variations at the base. It looks at SVO, VSO and VOS languages, and argues that the emerging word orders are cases of Emergence of the Unmarked (McCarthy and Prince 1994). It is argued that, in the so-called discourse-configurational languages, once we look at sentence-focus cases (answers to what happened-questions), the effects of discourse-related constraints are controlled for (Grimshaw and Samek-Lodovici’s ALIGNFOCUS is vacuously satisfied by all candidates and the winner will be the word order which satisfies the constraints normally dominated by ALIGNFOCUS). The difference between SVO and VSO will be explained in terms of a tension between CASE and STAY. This will not only derive this alternation, but also the surface position of preverbal subjects in these two types of languages (in Spec,IP and left-dis- located respectively). The SVO/VSO alternation is derived by only re-ranking one constraint, which is desirable given recent descrip- tions of dialects of Spanish, which either allow one or the other order. The impossibility of obtaining VSO orders in Italian will be derived from the high ranking of Obj-CASE in this language, as opposed to other Romance languages. Again, within Romance, only one constraint will be re-ranked. Malagasy (VOS) will receive an ana- lysis similar to Italian, although discourse constraints will be low-ranked, deriving the obligatoriness of this word order. Celtic (VSO) will also have ALIGNFOCUS low-ranked, deriving its obligatory word order. The analysis proposed here tries to give further support to the claim made in OT that linguistic variation should follow from constraint ranking. It also emphasizes the importance of the Emergence of the Unmarked in the theory. |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | |
| Article: | Version 1 |