Syllabic structure and the acquisition of consonants: The great conspiracy in word formation

Abstract

The syllabic structure and phonemic inventory of one child were analyzed at the beginning of word production and compared with similar records reported in the literature. The data appear to favor an interactionist view of lexical development which recognizes the contribution of particular syllabic forms to the acquisition of consonantal phonemes and the role these phonemes play in expanded syllabic form. The discussion argues for the primacy of CV as the dominant unit of production and identifies a number of constraints on syllabic forms and a set of conspiratorial rules which assure the production of these forms. Further, it is argued that certain strategies operating within the constraints to particular syllabic forms result in the ordered development of syllabic structures.