Universal #2031

Legacy number: 2031

 Number  2025
 Original  the presence of a word-initial geminate in a given language implies that medial geminates are also present in that language.
 Standardized  IF there are word-initial geminates, THEN there are also medial geminates.
 Keywords  consonant, geminate, word
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical, almost absolute
 Basis  over two dozen lgs reported to have word-initial geminates, listed in Appendix
 Source  Muller 2001: 205

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Discussion
Counterexamples
Sa'ban (Borneo, Austronesian) (Muller 2001: 205)
Notes
The evidence given would seem to allow the strictest possible reading of the universal:IF there are word-initial geminates, THEN these same geminates will also occur word-medially.Muller mentions lgs where word-initial geminates are limited to subsets of word-medial geminates.Continuants, esp. nasals, seem the preferred segment class to occur as geminates in any position, and esp. word-initially. (Yapese only has /l, g/ as geminates, but none of the nasals.)
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
The evidence given would seem to allow the strictest possible reading of the universal:

IF there are word-initial geminates, THEN these same geminates will also occur word-medially.

Muller mentions lgs where word-initial geminates are limited to subsets of word-medial geminates.

Continuants, esp. nasals, seem the preferred segment class to occur as geminates in any position, and esp. word-initially. (Yapese only has /l, g/ as geminates, but none of the nasals.)