Dentals are grave

Authors

  • Darin Flynn Dept. of Linguistics, University of Calgaiy, 2500 University DrNW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
  • Sean Fulop Dept. of Linguistics, California State University, 5245 N. Backer Ave. PB92, Fresno, CA 93740-8001, United States

Keywords:

Approximants, Noise energy, Sound change

Abstract

The article highlights the increased explanation of certain auditorily based sound changes and assimilations, obtained by correcting the definition of the old-school feature, and concomitant adjustments to the classification of segments. Phonetic features require either an articulatory or an acoustic basis. Defining a feature in an optimal fashion can lead to improved explanatory force concerning, for example, phonetically motivated sound change. Retroflexion cannot enhance dentalization, as these gestures are incompatible. That dentals are grave predicts that coronal consonants may become dental when released into a flat vowel or approximant. On the one hand, their noise energy is very similar to that of labials. On the other hand, their interaction with the vocalic feature flat across languages strongly suggests that they bear the consonantal counterpart grave.

Additional Files

Published

2012-09-01

How to Cite

1.
Flynn D, Fulop S. Dentals are grave. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2012 Sep. 1 [cited 2024 Nov. 3];40(3):20-1. Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/2519

Issue

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

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