Positional faithfulness in parallel Optimality Theory refers to prominent positions in the output. This squib explores the predictions of a new class of constraints that refer to prominent positions in the input. We show that input prevocalic faithfulness correctly predicts counterfeeding opacity in which a consonantal process underapplies in positions that are no longer prevocalic due to vowel deletion, as well as counterbleeding opacity in which a consonantal process overapplies in prevocalic positions created by vowel epenthesis. We also discuss predictions involving other opaque interactions (e.g. between consonant neutralization and metathesis) and other prominent positions (e.g. leftmost, stressed).

positional neutralization, Optimality Theory, counterbleeding, Tundra Nenets, Ghayeni Persian, Alsatian French
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© 2025 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
2025
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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