On Verbal Phonology in Kurdish: An Optimality-Theoretic Account of Dialectal Variation

According to The Richness of the Base (ROTB) in Optimality Theory, there is no limitation on the input and linguistic variation in this theory which is defined as permutation of constraints. Assuming Sorani Kurdish verbal form to be more intact than those of Ardalani and Kalhori dialects, it is treated as the proto-form and, following OT principles, and by showing different constraint permutaions, an instance of variation among these three dialects is put forth. To do so, having interviewed 10 native speakers of Sorani, Ardalani and Kalhori each, and having obtained an audio corpus, the authors consider the Sorani form as an input, putting it into different constraint tableaux, and different constrains permutation resulted which is thought to be the reason of variation. In Kalhori and then in Ardalani more markedness constrainsts are active than in Sorani. OT can deal with the variation perceived in verb forms in Kurdish dialects well.