Universal #809

Legacy number: 809

 Number  806
 Original  In all languages which have vowel harmony, the vowel ä exists.
 Standardized  IF there is vowel harmony, THEN the vowel ä will be present.
 Formula  vowel harmony ⇒ ä
 Keywords  vowel harmony
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  Finno-Ugric languages
 Source  Décsy 1970: 13, Décsy 1987: 69

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Counterexamples
Notes
The distinctive features of the vowel “ä” are unfortunately not given by Déscy but it can probably be assumed to be a front, open-mid, lax vowel. <ADS>
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
The distinctive features of the vowel "ä" are unfortunately not given by Déscy but it can probably be assumed to be a front, open-mid, lax vowel. <ADS>