Clàudia Pons-Moll: Constraint interaction and variation in phonology

Why is variation ubiquitous in phonology and why is it so tightly constrained? This course invites students to explore this question through the lens of constraint-based theories such as Optimality Theory and Harmonic Grammar. Starting from their shared foundations, we examine how grammars emerge from the interaction of universal, yet violable, constraints that shape surface forms. After introducing the basics, the course places special emphasis on variation: across languages, dialects, registers, and even within individual speakers. We will show how different patterns of variation can be formally modeled through alternative constraint rankings and weightings, and how approaches such as stochastic and entropic grammars capture optionality and probabilistic behavior. Particular attention will be paid to Romance languages, which provide a rich empirical ground for understanding how subtle differences in constraint rankings yield diverse phonological outcomes. The course also connects variation with acquisition and diachrony, highlighting how grammars change through the re-ranking or re-weighting of constraints over time and across developmental stages. Combining theoretical insight with hands-on analysis, this course offers students the tools to understand phonology and variation from the perspective of constraint-based theories. The course is intended for students with some prior training in phonological theory.

Level: intermediate