This study investigates how the notion of feature geometry can be effectively incorporated into the instantiation of general constraint definition in Optimality Theory. To this end, we examine three types of palatalization observed across languages: the fronting of velar, the change of place within coronals, and the addition of secondary palatalization. For the first two cases, unlike previous work by Clements and Hume (1995) and Lahiri and Evers (1991), we propose that both of those processes involve the spreading of the whole [coronal] node only of the triggering vowel onto C-place node of the coronal consonant. Furthermore, unlike Iverson (1993), we also distinguish two types of coronalization from the secondary articulation as in Acadian French. Following Clements and Hume (1995), we assume that the secondary articulation is the result of spreading the coronal node onto the V-place of the consonant with the primary place intact. This pattern opens the way to put another featural node [C-place] into use in the OT constraints. This study confirms a possibility to take advantage of feature geometry in specifying the substance of constraints.
1. Introduction
2. Data and Palatalization in Feature Geometry
3. Optimality-Theoretic Analysis
4. Results