Universal #209

Legacy number: 209

 Number  209
 Original  An opposition of two vowels of the same degree of aperture is not present as long as a corresponding vocalic opposition of a narrower degree of aperture is lacking.
 Standardized  IF there is an opposition of two vowels of the same aperture, THEN there is a corresponding vocalic opposition of a narrower degree of aperture.
 Keywords  vowel, degree of aperture, narrow
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic but presumably diachronically motivated
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  languages mentioned in Jakobson 1941
 Source  Jakobson 1941: 56

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Discussion
Notes
1. Explicitly stated as a universal acquisitional sequence, but can be assumed to be intended also as a universal implication.2. See discussion in Hawkins (1987).
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Explicitly stated as a universal acquisitional sequence, but can be assumed to be intended also as a universal implication.

2. See discussion in Hawkins 1987.