14th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS-14) San Francisco, CA, USA August 1-7, 1999

Consonant Systems: From Universal Trends to Ontogenesis

Muriel Stefanuto (1,2), Nathalie Vallée (1)

(1) Institut de la Communication Parlée, INPG/Université Stendhal, Grenoble, France
(2) Centre Médico-Universitaire Daniel Douady, St Hilaire du Touvet, France

Within the frame of a substance-based linguistic approach, we present here typological research on consonant systems from UPSID (UCLA Phonological Segment Inventory Database). We implemented UPSID at ICP and we analysed it with the help of an original methodology. We show a set of general orientations which not only confirm or make more precise some regularities already stressed on, but also bring up new data. The search for universal trends in consonant systems of the world's languages is a necessary step for a theorical perspective on syllable structure. Finally, we discuss the general trends in the frame of ontogenesis.

Full Paper

Bibliographic reference.  Stefanuto, Muriel / Vallée, Nathalie (1999): "Consonant systems: from universal trends to ontogenesis", In ICPhS-14, 1973-1976.