The Law of Initials: Word-medial syllable heads are the more preferred, the less they differ from possible word-initial syllable heads of the language system.
Standardized
The Law of Initials: Word-medial syllable heads are the more preferred, the less they differ from possible word-initial syllable heads of the language system.
Keywords
syllable, head, word, phonotactics
Domain
phonology
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
statistical
Basis
languages mentioned in Vennemann 1988, with special reference to German, Germanic, Italian, and Latin
German disallows word-initial cluster of alveolar stops and the lateral liquid, but owing to recent syncopations they occur in non-initial syllables: e.g., han.dlung (but ok in Northern pronunciation: /hant.lung/.)
1. Vennemann’s PREFERENCE LAWS (1988: 2-3):Diachronic Maxim:Linguistic change on a given parameter does not affect a language structure as long as there exist structures in the language system that are less preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.Synchronic Maxim:A language system will in general not contain a structure on a given parameter without containing those structures constructible with the means of the system that are more preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.2. Head = part of syllable basis which precedes the nucleus
1. Vennemann’s PREFERENCE LAWS (1988: 2-3):Diachronic Maxim:Linguistic change on a given parameter does not affect a language structure as long as there exist structures in the language system that are less preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.Synchronic Maxim:A language system will in general not contain a structure on a given parameter without containing those structures constructible with the means of the system that are more preferred in terms of the relevant preference law.2. Head = part of syllable basis which precedes the nucleus