Abstract
We investigate the phonotactic behaviour of nasal consonants in a database of over 200 languages. Our findings challenge the common classification of nasals as intermediate between obstruents and liquids on the sonority hierarchy. Instead, we propose that there are two types of nasal consonants, one group with lower sonority than liquids and one with higher sonority. We propose that these two types of nasals differ in the presence or absence of a value for the feature [±continuant].
Highlights
The basic order of major segment classes in the sonority hierarchy has been by and large unchallenged since Sievers (1881: 157)
In this paper we investigate the behaviour of nasal consonants in syllable phonotactics in a survey of over 200 languages
Turning to criteria (b.i) and (b.ii), which serve as a basis for classifying languages as having low-sonority nasals, we found cases where liquids are privileged over nasals as syllabic consonants, as predicted by (b.ii), but no corresponding strong evidence that coda liquids are privileged over nasals, as predicted by (b.i)
Summary
The basic order of major segment classes in the sonority hierarchy has been by and large unchallenged since Sievers (1881: 157). We find compelling evidence that there are two types of nasals, LOW-SONORITY NASALS and HIGHSONORITY NASALS Languages allow either both types or just one; if both types are found they may be in complementary distribution, with low-sonority nasals in syllable onsets and high-sonority nasals in rhymes, or the language may display a contrast between the two types, in which case they are phonetically distinct. Nasals could manifest low-sonority properties in the onset and high-sonority properties in the coda This distinction need not be reflected in the phonetics, as the nasal segment can be realised as a plain nasal in both positions. In such cases, evidence about their sonority can be drawn from their combinatory properties within complex syllable constituents, and from other phonological diagnostics.
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