Liquids: Laterals and Rhotics or Much More?

Abstract

In phonology the classic division within the sonorant consonants is between nasal and liquid. Nasals by the nature of their articulation are easy to define and have generated a substantial literature (Cohn 1993, Piggott 1992, Huffman & Krakow 1993 among many others). Liquids are by contrast more difficult to define, demonstrate greater phonetic variability and there is far less literature on this class of segments,(Dixon 1972, Bhat 1975, Walsh Dickey 1997). This paper explores whether liquids can be defined both phonologically and phonetically and explores the link between representation and realisation of these sounds. In our discussion, we pay particular attention to the category “liquid” considering recent work on liquids (Walsh Dickey,1997 ) and how they elucidate our understanding of sonorants. We also present our own data from Woods Cree, an Algonquian language spoken in Canada. The data from this language raises interesting issues concerning potential mismatches between phonetics and phonology. This language traditionally lacks a liquid in its phonemic inventory and has clear evidence for a voiced dental fricative patterning as a non-nasal sonorant. Our findings suggest that non -nasal sonorant consonants need not be restricted to liquids and propose a number of possibilities as to the categorisation of these segments. We end our paper with a number of research questions that need to be addressed

In phonology the classic division within the sonorant consonants is between nasal and liquid. Nasals by the nature of their articulation are easy to define and have generated a substantial literature (Cohn 1993, Piggott 1992, Huffman & Krakow 1993 among many others). Liquids are by contrast more difficult to define, demonstrate greater phonetic variability and there is far less literature on this class of segments,(Dixon 1972, Bhat 1975, Walsh Dickey 1997). This paper explores whether liquids can be defined both phonologically and phonetically and explores the link between representation and realisation of these sounds. In our discussion, we pay particular attention to the category "liquid" considering recent work on liquids (Walsh Dickey,1997 ) and how they elucidate our understanding of sonorants. We also present our own data from Woods Cree, an Algonquian language spoken in Canada. The data from this language raises interesting issues concerning potential mismatches between phonetics and phonology. This language traditionally lacks a liquid in its phonemic inventory and has clear evidence for a voiced dental fricative patterning as a non-nasal sonorant. Our findings suggest that non -nasal sonorant consonants need not be restricted to liquids and propose a number of possibilities as to the categorisation of these segments. We end our paper with a number of research questions that need to be addressed

n phonology the classic division within the sonorant consonants is between nasal and liquid. Nasals by the nature of their articulation are easy to define and have generated a substantial literature (Cohn 1993, Piggott 1992, Huffman & Krakow 1993 among many others). Liquids are by contrast more difficult to define, demonstrate greater phonetic variability and there is far less literature on this class of segments,(Dixon 1972, Bhat 1975, Walsh Dickey 1997). This paper explores whether liquids can be defined both phonologically and phonetically and explores the link between representation and realisation of these sounds. In our discussion, we pay particular attention to the category “liquid” considering recent work on liquids (Walsh Dickey,1997 ) and how they elucidate our understanding of sonorants. We also present our own data from Woods Cree, an Algonquian language spoken in Canada. The data from this language raises interesting issues concerning potential mismatches between phonetics and phonology. This language traditionally lacks a liquid in its phonemic inventory and has clear evidence for a voiced dental fricative patterning as a non-nasal sonorant. Our findings suggest that non -nasal sonorant consonants need not be restricted to liquids and propose a number of possibilities as to the categorisation of these segments. We end our paper with a number of research questions that need to be addressed