Variation in acquisition: An optimal approach

The presence of intra-speaker variation in early acquisition has long presented an intriguing problem for researchers of phonological development. This paper demonstrates how Optimality Theory is useful in identifying three different types of variation in acquisition, only one of which is a true case of ‘multiple optimal outputs. It then illustrates how multiple optimal outputs can be handled from an Optimality theoretic perspective if ‘partial constraint rankings’, or stratified domination hierarchies, are allowed (Demuth 1995, 1997, Tesar & Smokensly 1996). The paper concludes with a discussion of what Optimality Theory can contribute to the understanding of intra-speaker variation in other domains, including second language learning, ‘optional’ structures in adult language, and processes of historical change.