This dissertation proposes that markedness constraints in Optimality Theory are lenient: a form can be marked with respect to a constraint only if there is another form that is unmarked. Thus, no constraint bans the least marked thing. The central consequence of this idea is tha…
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The present study investigates how information about contrasts is employed in the grammar. It is proposed that contrast preservation exists as an independent principle, which, within the framework of Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky 1993), is formalized as a family of ran…
In this dissertation I propose a rank-ordering model of EVAL. This model differs from classic OT as follows: In classic OT, EVAL distinguishes the best candidate from the losers, but does not distinguish between different losers. I argue that EVAL imposes a harmonic rank-orderin…
In a developing oil-based economy like Libya the availability of finance is largely affected by the availability of oil revenues which are subjected to disturbances and shocks. Therefore, the decision to save and invest a certain ratio of the country's aggregate output is, to la…
The intent of the present course of inquiry is to examine historical Persian phonology in light of advances in Optimality Theory (OT) as applied to language change and variation, and in doing so to present a historical reconstruction of Proto-Modern-Persian (henceforth Proto-Per…
This study demonstrates that relationships between output forms in Syrian Arabic (SA) can shed light on the issues of opacity and morphological relatedness. In addition, SA is compared to other varieties of Arabic, testing Optimality Theory's claim that differences among languag…
The overall purpose of this study is to analyze the acquisition of English word-stress by Arabic speakers in light of advancements in Optimality Theory. It has been reported that Arab second language learners of English have difficulty in acquiring the various patterns of Englis…