Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old English

Old English has several strategies of hiatus resolution, which have received a lot of attention in different theoretical approaches. This article discusses these strategies from a constraint-based approach within Optimality Theory. The analysis relies mainly on the solutions proposed by Opalińska (2...

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Main Authors: Dariusz Zembrzuski, Piotr Mosionek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of English Studies 2019-09-01
Series:Anglica. An International Journal of English Studies
Online Access:http://www.anglica.ia.uw.edu.pl/issues/anglica-as-a-journal/373-anglica-an-international-journal-of-english-studies-28-2-mosionek-zembrzuski%E2%80%9D
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author Dariusz Zembrzuski
Piotr Mosionek
author_facet Dariusz Zembrzuski
Piotr Mosionek
author_sort Dariusz Zembrzuski
collection DOAJ
description Old English has several strategies of hiatus resolution, which have received a lot of attention in different theoretical approaches. This article discusses these strategies from a constraint-based approach within Optimality Theory. The analysis relies mainly on the solutions proposed by Opalińska (2002; 2004; 2006), and reveals the hierarchy of preference between 4 strategies of hiatus resolution: contraction, diphthongisation, gliding, and glide insertion. It is shown that all mechanisms are a result of the interaction of different constraints. The article reveals that diphthongisation is the most optimal mechanism, whereas contraction occupies the last position due to the violation of weight preservation principle. The goal of this article is to advance Opalińska’s solution by demonstrating that the preference for a given hiatus resolution strategy results from the fact which particular subset of constraints is needed to activate this strategy.
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spelling doaj.art-ba10d650d55941c4baa68db6b4b46b692022-12-21T19:43:31ZengInstitute of English StudiesAnglica. An International Journal of English Studies0860-57340860-57342019-09-01282523doi.org/10.7311/0860-5734.28.2.01Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old EnglishDariusz Zembrzuski0Piotr MosionekUniversity of WarsawOld English has several strategies of hiatus resolution, which have received a lot of attention in different theoretical approaches. This article discusses these strategies from a constraint-based approach within Optimality Theory. The analysis relies mainly on the solutions proposed by Opalińska (2002; 2004; 2006), and reveals the hierarchy of preference between 4 strategies of hiatus resolution: contraction, diphthongisation, gliding, and glide insertion. It is shown that all mechanisms are a result of the interaction of different constraints. The article reveals that diphthongisation is the most optimal mechanism, whereas contraction occupies the last position due to the violation of weight preservation principle. The goal of this article is to advance Opalińska’s solution by demonstrating that the preference for a given hiatus resolution strategy results from the fact which particular subset of constraints is needed to activate this strategy.http://www.anglica.ia.uw.edu.pl/issues/anglica-as-a-journal/373-anglica-an-international-journal-of-english-studies-28-2-mosionek-zembrzuski%E2%80%9D
spellingShingle Dariusz Zembrzuski
Piotr Mosionek
Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old English
Anglica. An International Journal of English Studies
title Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old English
title_full Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old English
title_fullStr Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old English
title_full_unstemmed Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old English
title_short Hiatus Resolution Mechanisms in Old English
title_sort hiatus resolution mechanisms in old english
url http://www.anglica.ia.uw.edu.pl/issues/anglica-as-a-journal/373-anglica-an-international-journal-of-english-studies-28-2-mosionek-zembrzuski%E2%80%9D
work_keys_str_mv AT dariuszzembrzuski hiatusresolutionmechanismsinoldenglish
AT piotrmosionek hiatusresolutionmechanismsinoldenglish