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<font face="Palatino">"Modeling the typology of word-level rhythm in
language" <br>
by Kathryn Pruitt, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Linguistics.<br>
<br>
Abstract: Typological modeling in linguistic theory aims to
capture generalizations about human languages by providing an
explicit formalization of their considerable variation, while at
the same time accounting for the ways in which they are
fundamentally similar. In this talk I will discuss the
application of typological models to linguistic rhythm in the form
of word-level stress patterns, with two main goals: (1) to
illustrate the diversity of stress patterns across languages, and
(2) to demonstrate the formal methods that are used to model this
diversity. The general framework for typological modeling is
Optimality Theory, which accounts for variation across languages
with a set of competing pressures whose priority differs between
languages. Time-permitting, I will also discuss recent
refinements to Optimality Theory that improve its ability to
accurately model actual stress patterns and distinguish them from
others that are logically possible but which are not found in any
known language.<br>
<br>
Biographical: Kathryn Pruitt, adjunct assistant professor of
linguistics, received a BA in music and linguistics from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently
completing a Ph.D. in linguistics at UMass Amherst. Her research
centers around the sound structures of language, particularly
linguistic prosody. She has conducted research on theoretical
approaches to the typology of linguistic rhythm, the meaning and
interpretation of intonational contours in questions in English,
and accounting for phonological patterns by modeling language
change. Other interests include mental representations of
linguistic knowledge and the relationship between language
acquisition and language change. She also has a keen interest in
statistics and in methodologies of linguistic data collection.<br>
<br>
Location: ASH Lobby. A light lunch is available.</font><br>
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Paula Harmon, Administrative Assistant <br>
<div class="moz-signature"><small> School of Cognitive Science <br>
Hampshire College<br>
893 West Street Amherst, MA 01002 <br>
phone: 413.559.5502 <br>
fax: 413.559.5438 <br>
<a href="http://cs.hampshire.edu">http://cs.hampshire.edu</a></small>
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