Analyzing Sound Patterns An Introduction to Phonology

Introduction

This chapter continues the exploration of stress from metrical and optimal-theoretic perspectives. In Chapter 18, we identified three areas that distinguish the Metrical Theory (MT) of stress from Optimality Theory (OT). They are: MT’s derivational vs. OT’s non-derivational design, the inviolability of rules vs. the violability of constraints, and the simplicity vs. complexity of analyses. This chapter examines these differences against a pattern interaction phenomenon. In Yimas, syllables with epenthetic nuclei are both stressed and not stressed. This pattern interaction between stress and epenthesis puts both MT and OT to the test, highlights the implications of the three differences, and brings to light the advantages of OT as well as the challenge it faces.

This chapter has three objectives. First, it shows that stress is not unrelated to other phenomena. Stress impacts and is impacted by other phenomena. This chapter introduces a phenomenon of this kind and shows how stress interacts with epenthesis. Second, Yimas stress–epenthesis interactions represent an example of pattern interactions. This chapter showcases how MT and OT treat pattern interactions and develops your ability to analyze them. Lastly, this chapter strengthens your capability to develop, compare, and evaluate competing analyses.