Universal #1797

Legacy number: 1797

 Number  1792
 Original  Nasals are deleted preferentially before consonants word-medially than word-finally (first before consonants and then before vowels). Lastly, the intervocalic nasal may be lost.
 Standardized  IF nasals are deleted word-finally preceding vowels, THEN they are deleted word-finally before consonants.
IF nasals are deleted word-finally preceding consonants, THEN they are deleted word-medially before consonants.
 Formula  likelihood of N-deletion: N → Ø/ _V ⇒ _#V ⇒ _#C ⇒ _C
 Keywords  deletion, nasal, consonant, vowel
 Domain  prosodic phonology
 Type  implicational hierarchy
 Status  diachronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  8 North Italian dialects: Bolognese, Cairese, Imoloese, Lughese, Ravennate, Riminese, Milanese, Bergamese; Rhaeto-Romance (Taveschan dialect); Latin
 Source  Ruhlen 1973: 13, cited in Hajek 1997: 137

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Discussion
Notes
Foley (1975, 1977) makes a similar statement that nasals in syllable-final position are weaker than strong syllable-initial intervocalic nasals and are, therefore, preferentially deleted.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Foley 1975, Foley 1977, makes a similar statement that nasals in syllable-final position are weaker than strong syllable-initial intervocalic nasals and are, therefore, preferentially deleted.