Universal #1253

Legacy number: 1253

 Number  1249
 Original  Hierarchy of consonants that have the greatest tone-raising or tone-lowering effect:

implosive > voiceless aspirated > voiceless unaspirated > sonant > voiced obstruent > breathy
 Standardized  The more to the left on the hierarchy a consonant is, the greater is its tone-raising effect.
The more to the right a consonant is, the greater is its tone-lowering effect:

implosive > voiceless aspirated > voiceless unaspirated > sonant > voiced obstruent > breathy
 Keywords  consonant, tone, raising, lowering, hierarchy
 Domain  prosodic phonology
 Type  implicational hierarchy
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  West African languages: Bolanci, Ga?anda, Hausa, Kanakuru (=Dera), Ngizim (all Chadic); Etsako (Edoid); Ewe, Twi (both Kwa); Gwari, Igbirra, Nupe (all Nupoid); Igbo (Igboid); Yoruba (Defoid); Fe?fe?, Kikuyu, Kinga, Mbui, Safwa, Sukuma, Tigong, Xhosa, Zulu (all Bantu); Kpelle, Mende (both Mande).
 Source  Hyman & Schuh 1972: 42 (Hyman & Schuh 1972[1974]: 110)

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Counterexamples
Notes
1. Hyman & Schuh (1972: 110) admit this hierarchy is not fully satisfactory for several reasons: (i) several consonant types are missing (e.g. ejectives, glottal stop, creaky voice), (ii) the sonorants are undifferentiated (e.g. liquid, glide), and (iii) the place of articulation is undifferentiated (e.g. velar, labial).2. Cf. ##766, 1677.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Hyman & Schuh 1972: 110: admit this hierarchy is not fully satisfactory for several reasons: (i) several consonant types are missing (e.g. ejectives, glottal stop, creaky voice), (ii) the sonorants are undifferentiated (e.g. liquid, glide), and (iii) the place of articulation is undifferentiated (e.g. velar, labial).

2. Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=766"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1677"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">.