Universal #791

Legacy number: 791

 Number  788
 Original  If in a given language there is only one Primary Nasal Consonant, it is /n/, that is, its most characteristic allophone is apical.
 Standardized  IF there is a Primary Nasal Consonant other than apical /n/, THEN there is also a Primary Nasal Consonant /n/.
 Keywords  nasal, consonant, apical, allophone
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  languages mentioned in Ferguson 1963; 317 language sample from Nartey 1979
 Source  Ferguson 1963: 56 (II), cited in Uspensky 1965: 191, Nartey 1979: 30

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Discussion
Counterexamples
Toaripi (Eleman, Trans-New Guinea), Mixtec (Oto-Manguean) (Nartey 1979: 30); dialects of Halkomelem Salish (Salish) such as Chilliwack (Thompson and Thompson 1972: 451; cited in Nartey 1979: 30);Cabécar (Talamanca, Chibchan) (Yasugi 1995: 70);possible exceptions: Yoruba (Defoid, Niger-Congo) (Ladefoged 1964; cited in Nartey 1979: 30),Winnebago (Siouan) (Hockett 1955, cited in Nartey 1979: 30)
Notes
1. A Primary Nasal Consonant is a phoneme of which the most characteristic allophone is a voiced nasal stop, that is, a sound produced by a complete oral stoppage (e.g., apical, labial), velic opening, and vibration of the vocal cords. (Ferguson 1963: 56)2. Cf. #1839.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. A Primary Nasal Consonant is a phoneme of which the most characteristic allophone is a voiced nasal stop, that is, a sound produced by a complete oral stoppage (e.g., apical, labial), velic opening, and vibration of the vocal cords. (Ferguson 1963: 56)

2. Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1839"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">