Universal 318: backness distinctions Š height distinctions
- Original
- The number of height distinctions in a system is typically equal or greater than the number of backness distinctions.
- Standardized
- IF there are n backness distinctions, THEN there are at least n height distinctions.
- Keywords
- vowel, height, backness
- Domain
- phonology
- Type
- implication
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- statistical
- Basis
- sample of 209 languages in Crothers 1978
- Source
- Crothers 1978: 135
- Counterexamples
1. Cf. #1336.2. Languages with a three-vowel system /a,i,u/ (such as Classical Arabic) would pose a problem here. The most natural analysis would be to assume three backness distinctions (front, mid, back) (Carsten Peust, p.c.)