Search | Alter

A parametric framework factorizing phonological computation into SEARCH and ALTER primitives.

Deconstructing the Phonological Rule

Traditional phonological rules often conflate “where to look” with “what to do.” The Search & Alter (S&A) framework factorizes these into two independent computational primitives: a directional SEARCH procedure and a constrained ALTER operation. By treating these as distinct parameters, we can eliminate the need for complex “tiers” and instead derive locality as an emergent property of the search’s termination conditions[cite: 1].

The Core Architecture

Every rule in S&A is defined by a specific set of parameters that dictate how the computation traverses a string of segments[cite: 1]:

  • INR (Initiator): The segment class that triggers the search[cite: 1].
  • DIR (Direction): The orientation of the search (left, right, or bidirectional)[cite: 1].
  • MATCH (Relevance): The predicate that defines which candidates are “seen” by the rule[cite: 1].
  • TRM (Termination): The predicate that defines accessibility—when the search must stop[cite: 1].
  • ALTER (Operation): The specific change, such as COPYING a feature from a target or MODIFYING a feature directly[cite: 1].

Procedural Locality: Match vs. TRM

The core theoretical insight of S&A is that what phonology “sees” (MATCH) and what it “can access” (TRM) are distinct[cite: 1]. Their interaction generates the diverse range of locality effects observed in human languages[cite: 1]:

Configuration Relation Empirical Effect
Closest Relevant MATCH = TRM The search stops at the very first relevant candidate it encounters[cite: 1].
Blocking TRM ⊃ MATCH An intervening segment (that isn’t a match) forces the search to terminate, causing opacity[cite: 1].
Edge Selection MATCH ⊃ TRM The search ignores intermediaries and only stops at a structural boundary (like a word edge)[cite: 1].

Theoretical Implications

By unifying previous models like Search & Copy and Search & Change, this framework accounts for vowel harmony, blocking, transparency, and non-assimilatory processes within a single, computationally controlled architecture[cite: 1]. It suggests that phonological competence is essentially a directional search combined with restricted feature alteration, providing a principled way to map the limits of phonological power[cite: 1].