Abstract
Syllables have been defined on the basis of the sonority hierarchy principle. For syllable onsets, the sonority tends to rise toward the nucleus of a syllable. Typologically, unmarked onset clusters satisfy the principle. Most of the clusters such as /tl, sl, pr/in English show sonority rise, conforming to the principle. Cross linguistically, a notorious exception to this phenomenon is sibilant-plosive clusters such as /st, sp, sk/. Despite its apparent violation of the principle, sibilant-plosive onset clusters are widely attested across languages. This paper aims to review theoretical issues related to the sibilant-plosive onset clusters, through considerations both of its typological and acquisitional aspects. We conclude the paper by suggesting potential contributions that in-depth research on Korean linguistics can make to the theoretical debates on the sibilant-plosive clusters.
Published Version
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