<OT> New Posting: ROA-713

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 713-0205

The violability of backness in retroflex consonants

Paul Boersma <paul.boersma at uva.nl>
Silke Hamann <silke at zas.gwz-berlin.de>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=713


Abstract:
This paper addresses remarks made by Flemming (2003) to
the effect that his analysis of the interaction between
retroflexion and vowel backness is superior to that of Hamann
(2003). While Hamann maintained that retroflex articulations
are always back, Flemming adduces phonological as well as
phonetic evidence to prove that retroflex consonants can
be non-back and even front (i.e. palatalised). The present
paper, however, shows that the phonetic evidence fails under
closer scrutiny. A closer consideration of the phonological
evidence shows, by making a principled distinction between
articulatory and perceptual drives, that a reanalysis of
Flemming�s data in terms of unviolated retroflex backness
is not only possible but also simpler with respect to the
number of language-specific stipulations.

Comments: 
Keywords: retroflexion,articulation,perception,Walmatjari,Kodagu,Russian,Gujarati,Toda,Acoma
Areas: Phonology,Phonetics
Type: Journal Article

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=713