An Optimality- Theoory Account of Changing // to [a] or [o] in Ferdows Persian Accent

Careful analysis of the Ferdows Persian accent showed that the back vowel /A/ changes to front vowel [a] in the first syllable of bi-syllabic words and in the second syllable of tri-syllabic words. However، this does not occur in the last syllable. It was also found that different processes occur before nasals; /A/ changes to [o] before /m/. But before /n/، it changes to [a] in the penult of words having two or more syllables، and to [o] in monosyllabic words as well as the last syllable of words having two or more syllables. Moreover، /n/ is deleted in monosyllabic words and the last syllable of words having two or more syllables. This paper aims at coming up with inclusive rankings of constraints to explain the occurrences and non-occurrences of these vowel changes in various phonological environments in Ferdows Persian accent within Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky، 1993&2004).