Universal #834

Legacy number: 834

 Number  831
 Original  Languages with two or more liquids are most likely to have at least one lateral, and a lateral/non-lateral contrast.
 Standardized  In languages with two or more liquids, IF there is one non-lateral, THEN there will also be a lateral.
 Keywords  lateral, liquid, non-lateral
 Domain  phonology
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  sample of 321 languages by Maddieson 1980
 Source  Lass 1984: 158, taken from survey by Maddieson 1980

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Discussion
Counterexamples
the Tarascan group (isolate) (Yasugi 1995: 70)
Notes
or:In languages with two or more liquids, IF there is any other contrast, THEN there will also be a contrast lateral/non-lateral.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
or:
In languages with two or more liquids, IF there is any other contrast, THEN there will also be a contrast lateral/non-lateral.