Directional constraint evaluation in Optimality Theory

Abstract

Weighted finite-state constraints that can count unboundedly many violations make Optimality Theory more powerful than finite-state transduction (Frank and Satta, 1998). This result is empirically and computationally awkward. We propose replacing these unbounded constraints, as well as non-finite-state Generalized Alignment constraints, with a new class of finite-state directional constraints. We give linguistic applications, results on generative power; and algorithms to compile grammars into transducers.