Universal #1337

Legacy number: 1337

 Number  1333
 Original  If we define a ‘vowel system’ to include all the segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks, then every language has a vowel system.
= Every language has segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks.
 Standardized  If we define a ‘vowel system’ to include all the segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks, then every language has a vowel system.
= Every language has segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks.
 Keywords  phoneme, syllable
 Domain  phonology
 Type  unconditional
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  unspecified
 Source  Hockett 1963: 27

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Discussion
Notes
Hockett 1963: 27: “If we define ‘vowel system’ to include all the segmental phonemes that occur only as syllable peaks, then at least one language, Wishram, apparently has a vowel system of one element, which is only trivially a ‘system’.” And Kabardian?
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Hockett 1963: 27: "If we define "vowel system" to include all the segmental phonemes that occur only as syllable peaks, then at least one language, Wishram, apparently has a vowel system of one element, which is only trivially a "Ôsystem"." And Kabardian?