Research interests
- Optimality Theory: formal properties, learnability
- Phonology: stress, tone, assimilation
- Phonetics: correlates of stress and tone, phonetics/phonology interface
- Syntax: OT, reciprocals/anaphora
- Fieldwork (most recently Ibibio)
I am currently working on three main projects:
- I am exploring the phenomenon (or phenomena) known as stress, currently focusing on the Mapudungun language. My goal is to develop a robust empirical (i.e. acoustic) basis for characterizing the stress system of the language. Mapudungun is of interest because it is an iambic language exhibiting strong interactions between syllable structure and stress, an issue that in general poses problems for many OT accounts.
- I am examining the specific formal and empirical consequences of vowel harmony. In particular, I am developing a theory that treats harmony as a consequence of non-local identity requirements between segments. In this line of inquiry, I am investigating possible delimiters of this relation: parasitic dependency of features, markedness pressures on harmony, and transparency. Work on this subject is available on the papers page. I am simultaneously examining the properties of this analysis with respect to learnability theory.
- I'm attempting to develop a robust, cross-linguistic account of reciprocals and their interpretation. In general, reciprocals appear to exhibit strong interactions between syntax and semantics in both their distribution and interpretation; there are a number of examples of optimality in these interactions. My specific focus is on "null" reciprocal constructions, in which a verb exhibits reciprocal behavior when supplied with only a subject argument (John and Mary conversed).