Universal #1702

Legacy number: 1702

 Number  1697
 Original  The Body Law (conjectured):
There must be degrees of preference for combinations of nuclei with heads. For instance, ongliding nuclear speech sounds often impose additional restrictions on the structure of heads.
 Standardized  The Body Law (conjectured):
There must be degrees of preference for combinations of nuclei with heads. For instance, ongliding nuclear speech sounds often impose additional restrictions on the structure of heads.
 Keywords  syllable, head, nucleus
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  languages mentioned in Vennemann 1988, with special reference to German, Germanic, Italian, and Latin
 Source  Vennemann 1988: 12

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Discussion
Notes
1. Vennemann’s PREFERENCE LAWS (1988: 2-3):Diachronic Maxim:Linguistic change on a given parameter does not affect a language structure as long as there exist structures in the language system that are less preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.Synchronic Maxim:A language system will in general not contain a structure on a given parameter without containing those structures constructible with the means of the system that are more preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.2. Head = part of syllable basis which precedes the nucleus
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Vennemann's PREFERENCE LAWS (Vennemann 1988: 2-3):
Diachronic Maxim:
Linguistic change on a given parameter does not affect a language structure as long as there exist structures in the language system that are less preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.

Synchronic Maxim:
A language system will in general not contain a structure on a given parameter without containing those structures constructible with the means of the system that are more preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.

2. Head = part of syllable basis which precedes the nucleus