Universal #412

Legacy number: 412

 Number  411
 Original  Aspirated voiceless consonants (especially obstruents) occur more frequently then aspirated voiced ones (especially sonorants).
 Standardized  IF there are aspirated voiced consonants (especially sonorants), THEN there are also aspirated voiceless consonants (especially obstruents).
 Formula  C [ +v, !+son ]h ⇒ C [ -v, !+obst ]h or
aspirated voiced consonant (esp. sonorant) ⇒ aspirated voiceless consonant (esp. obstruent)
 Keywords  /h/, consonant, voice, aspiration
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  languages in Hurch 1988
 Source  Hurch 1988: 63, Eckman 1984: 85

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Discussion
Notes
1. Compare the statement by Jakobson: bh => ph.2. Cf. Nartey’s less restrictive claim (#799): If there is a voiced obstruent, then most likely its voiceless counterpart is present as well. 3. However, crosslinguistic frequency need not perforce translate into an implication.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Compare the statement by Jakobson: bh ⇒ ph.

2. Cf. Nartey's less restrictive claim (<a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=799"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">): If there is a voiced obstruent, then most likely its voiceless counterpart is present as well.

3. However, crosslinguistic frequency need not perforce translate into an implication.