Universal #1803

Legacy number: 1803

 Number  1798
 Original  There is a tendency for obstruents to be devoiced more often finally then initially.
 Standardized  IF obstruents are devoiced initially, THEN they are devoiced finally.
 Keywords  obstruent, voice
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  unclear whether diachronic and/or achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  IE languages in Jespersen 1933 [1960], Bloomfield 1935, Martinet 1955, 58-language sample in Coberly 1984
 Source  Jespersen 1933 [1960: 546], Bloomfield 1935: 373, Martinet 1955, referred to by Coberly 1984: 102

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Notes
Coberly (1984: 104) specifies that this tendency is the strongest for stops.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Coberly 1984: 104: specifies that this tendency is the strongest for stops.