Re: NATLANG: Phonotactics
| From: | Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> |
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| Date: | Monday, November 24, 2008, 23:53 |
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Quoting taliesin the storyteller <taliesin-conlang@...>:
> Perfect timing Eldin! I'm working on reanalyzing the phonology and
> phonotactics of Taruven right now.
>
> * Eldin Raigmore said on 2008-11-24 17:42:35 +0100
> > (2) Around what fraction of natlangs have syllable-onsets and around what
> > fraction don't?
>
> Supposedly there is an australian language (Arrernte?) which only allows
> vowels *to start a word*. Whether the remaining syllables were CV or VC
> I don't recall. With that possible exception, all languages have
> CV-syllables.
"The syllable structure of Arrernte is argued to be VC(C), with obligatory codas
and no onsets", as Wikipedia puts it, citing Breen, Gavan; Rob Pensalfini
(1999). "Arrernte: A Language with No Syllable Onsets". Linguistic Inquiry 30
(1): 1. doi:10.1162/002438999553940. (The doi appears to be broken.)
I suppose the argument is about what syllable medial consonants belong to.
--
Andreas Johansson
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