LINA02 Applications of Linguistics

Classification of Languages and Language Universals

Required reading: Top Hat Chapter#1

The following exercises are adapted from O’Grady Ch.8

Vowel System Universal Tendencies (summary):

Most common vowel: /a/, followed by /i/ and /u/
Front vowel phonemes and low vowels = generally unrounded
Back (non-low) vowel phonemes = generally rounded

Vowel System Implicational Universals:

Nasal vowel phonemes found in a language implies that it will also have oral vowel phonemes
When a language has long vowel phonemes, it is implied that it will have short vowel phonemes
as well.

1. Which tendencies and universals are manifested in the following vowel systems?
a) Afrikaans ([y] and [ø] are front rounded vowels)
i y u
ø ə o
ɛ ɔ
a
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b) Squamish (British Columbia)

i u
ə
a
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2. Implicational universals for vowels. The presence of long and nasal vowel phonemes is
governed by implicational universals. Do the vowel systems below comply with the
implicational universals that make reference to length and nasality?

a) Maltese Arabic

i u i: u:
e o e: o:
a a:

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b) Awji (North New Guinea)

i u ĩ ũ
e ə o ẽ ə̃ õ
a ã

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 Consonant System Universal Tendencies (summary)::
Most common phoneme = /t/ as well as /p/ and /k/ (very few languages lack them and
no language lacks all three - if a language lacks one, it is often /p/)
Most common fricative = /s/ followed by /f/
Most languages have at least one nasal phoneme = if there's only one, it's usually /n/, and
if there are two, it's usually /n/ and /m/
Most languages have at least one liquid phoneme (like /l/ in English)

Consonant System Implicational Universals:

Languages with voiced obstruents (stops, fricatives, affricates) are implied to also
have corresponding voiceless obstruents
Languages with fricatives, should also have stops
Languages with affricates, they will also have fricatives (which implies that they also have stops)

3. Implicational universals for consonants. Consider the following consonant systems. Do these
consonant systems comply with the implicational universals mentioned in the Top Hat chapter?

a) Tahitian

p t ʔ
f h
v r
mn

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b) Palauan (Palau Islands)
t k ʔ
b
ð
s
m ŋ
l, r

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