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Universal 1709:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 1709:

Original
The Contact Law:
A syllable contact A$B is the more preferred, the less the Consonantal Strength of the offset A and the greater the Consontal Strength of the onset B; more precisely, the greater the characteristic difference CS(B)–CS(A) between the Consonantal Strength of B and that of A.
Standardized
The Contact Law:
A syllable contact A$B is the more preferred, the less the Consonantal Strength of the offset A and the greater the Consontal Strength of the onset B; more precisely, the greater the characteristic difference CS(B)–CS(A) between the Consonantal Strength of B and that of A.
Keywords
syllable, consonant, strength, sonority
Domain
phonology
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
statistical
Basis
languages mentioned in Vennemann 1988, with special reference to German, Germanic, Italian, and Latin
Source
Vennemann 1988: 40
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    This Contact Law can be generalized, leading to the General Syllabication Law (#1714).In Murray & Vennemann (1983) this was called The Syllable Contact Law and stated thus:Sonority of a syllable-final consonant must exceed that of a following syllable-initial consonant (equivalently, the second must exceed the first in “strength”).This is in effect what is otherwise known as The Sonority Sequencing Principle.

    1. May 2020

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