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Universal 1333:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 1333:

Original
If we define a ‘vowel system’ to include all the segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks, then every language has a vowel system.
= Every language has segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks.
Standardized
If we define a ‘vowel system’ to include all the segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks, then every language has a vowel system.
= Every language has segmental phonemes that occur as syllable peaks.
Keywords
phoneme, syllable
Domain
phonology
Type
unconditional
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
unspecified
Source
Hockett 1963: 27
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    Hockett 1963: 27: “If we define ‘vowel system’ to include all the segmental phonemes that occur only as syllable peaks, then at least one language, Wishram, apparently has a vowel system of one element, which is only trivially a ‘system’.” And Kabardian?

    1. May 2020

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