Optimality Theory in Phonology: A Reader is a collection of readings on this important new theory by leading figures in the field, including a lengthy excerpt from Prince and Smolensky's never-before-published Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar.

Preface. Contributors'Addresses. Acknowledgments. Part I: The Basics. 1 Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar. (Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky). 2 Generalized Alignment: Introduction and Theory. (John J. McCarthy and Alan Prince). 3 Faithfulness and Identity in Prosodic Morphology. (John J. McCarthy and Alan Prince). Part II: Formal Analysis. 4 Computing Optimal Forms in Optimality Theory: Basic Syllabification. (Bruce Tesar). 5 Learnability in Optimality Theory. (Bruce Tesar and Paul Smolensky). 6 Non-computable Functions in Optimality Theory. (Elliott Moreton). Part III: Prosody. 7 Generalized Alignment: Prosody. (John J. McCarthy and Alan Prince). 8 Ternary Rhythm and the LAPSE Constraint. (Nine Elenbaas and Rene Kager). 9 Quality-Sensitive Stress. (Michael Kenstowicz). 10 Unbounded Stress and Factorial Typology. (Eric Bakovic). 11 Head Dependence in Stress-Epenthesis Interaction. (John Alderete). 12 Feet, Tonal Reduction, and Speech Rate at the Word and Phrase Level in Chinese. (Moira Yip). 13 OCP Effects in Optimality Theory. (Scott Myers). Part IV: Segmental Phonology. 14 Austronesian Nasal Substitution and Other NC Effects. (Joe Pater). 15 Phonetically Driven Phonology: The Role of Optimality Theory and Inductive. Grounding. (Bruce Hayes). 16 Positional Faithfulness. (Jill Beckman). 17 Positional Faithfulness and Voicing Assimilation in Optimality Theory. (Linda Lombardi). 18 Positional Asymmetries and Licensing. (Cheryl Zoll). 19 Partial Class Behavior and Nasal Place Assimilation. (Jaye Padgett). 20 Dissimilation as Local Conjunction. (John Alderete). 21 Synchronic Chain Shifts in Optimality Theory. (Robert Kirchner). Part V: Interfaces. 22 Transderivational Identity: Phonological Relations Between Words. (Laura Benua). 23 Backness Switch in Russian. (Jerzy Rubach). 24 Generalized Alignment: The Prosody-Morphology Interface. (John J. McCarthy and Alan Prince). 25 The Prosodic Structure of Function Words. (Elisabeth Selkirk). 26 The Emergence of the Unmarked. (John J. McCarthy and Alan Prince). 27 Maximal Words and the Maori Passive. (Paul de Lacy). 28 External Allomorphy as Emergence of the Unmarked. (Joan Mascaro). 29 Derived Environmental Effects in Optimality Theory. (Anna GBPubowicz). 30 Licensing and Underspecification in Optimality Theory. (Junko Ito, Armin Mester, and Jaye Padgett). 31 The Implications of Lexical Exceptions for the Nature of Grammar. (Sharon Inkelas, Orhan Orgun, and Cheryl Zoll). 32 The Phonological Lexicon. (Junko Ito and Armin Mester). 33 Variation and Change in Optimality Theory. (Arto Anttila and Young-mee Yu Cho). References. Index.

"This is the book we have all been waiting for. By 'we' I mean everybody who is not a cutting-edge researcher in OT phonology but who hopes to become one, or who needs to know about OT in order to teach phonology in an up-to-date fashion, or who is interested in what has been perhaps the most vigorous and fruitful trend in generative linguistic theory in the last decade." The Linguist List "Optimality Theory in Phonology goes far beyond the trite 'required reading for linguists' seen on many book jackets. John McCarthy's introductions to each chapter and study questions/discussion points at the end create a volume that is coherent, thought-provoking, and fun. The selection of articles included, the careful editing, and the thoughtful organization of the chapters render this work invaluable. The result is a clear three-way focus on the precise nature of the theory itself, its implications, and its empirical justification." Diana Archangeli, University of Arizona "By carefully selecting and editing the most relevant and influential papers of the early years of Optimality Theory, John McCarthy accomplishes the unlikely feat of combining the depth of the original articles with the comprehensive coverage of a well-balanced textbook. His graded 'study and research questions' will both guide the novice and challenge the expert." Paul Boersma, University of Amsterdam