This book is about how the vocabulary of a language is built and how similarities and differences between word forms can be explained, integrating optimality theory (OT) with lexical phonology and morphology. It shows that the phonology and morphology of stems, words, and sentences is governed by distinct constraint systems which may differ in the ranking of faithfulness constraints, and that these constraint systems are serially linked. Parallel versions of OT with paradigmatic constraints are refuted. The book includes a systematic comparative analysis of Arabic dialects. It presupposes some knowledge of phonological theory. This book is about how the vocabulary of a language is built. Paradigms and Opacity integrates Optimality Theory and Lexical Phonology, presenting a stratal OT model in which the properties of stems, words, and sentences are characterized by distinct parallel constraint systems that interface serially. This model accounts for morphology/phonology interactions and opaque constraint interactions better than models found in current versions of OT phonology. Evidence is provided from a very broad range of languages, and further support is offered on grounds of learnability, naturalness, historical change, and typological restrictiveness. Paradigms and Opacity integrates Optimality Theory and Lexical Phonology, presenting a stratal OT model in which the properties of stems, words, and sentences are characterized by distinct parallel constraint systems that interface serially. This model accounts for morphology/phonology interactions and opaque constraint interactions better than models found in current versions of OT phonology. Evidence is provided from a very broad range of languages, and further support is offered on grounds of learnability, naturalness, historical change, and typological restrictiveness.
