Universal 715:
- Original
- A larger number of tone levels occupy a larger pitch range than a smaller number.
- Standardized
- The larger the number of (phonological) tone levels, the larger the pitch range they occupy.
- Keywords
- tone, tone levels, pitch range
- Domain
- phonology
- Type
- mutual implication
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- absolute
- Basis
- languages in Maddieson 1978
- Source
- Maddieson 1978: 338
- Counterexamples
that is, the pitch range universally available for tonal distinctions is not universally invariable, but depends on the tone levels being distinguished in a language.