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The contrastive hierarchy in phonology 2009 Dresher.pdf - CUNY ...

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296<br />

c. Xibe: [low] > [coronal] > [labial]<br />

qp<br />

[low] non-low<br />

wo wo<br />

[coronal] non-coronal [coronal] non-coronal<br />

ru ru ru ru<br />

non-lab [labial] non-lab [labial] non-lab [labial] non-lab [labial]<br />

g g g g g g g g<br />

/E/ /ø/ /a/ /ç/ /i/ /y/ /´/ /U/<br />

7.4.3. Typological surveys of labial harmony<br />

Typological surveys of labial harmony <strong>in</strong> Manchu-Tungus, Mongolian, and<br />

Turkic languages support the hypothesis that only <strong>contrastive</strong> features trigger<br />

harmony. Zhang (1996: Chapter 6) surveys a number of Manchu and Tungusic<br />

languages <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a and Russia. We have seen that labial harmony <strong>in</strong> Classical<br />

Manchu is limited to the low vowels. On this account, only the low vowel /ç/ is<br />

<strong>contrastive</strong>ly [labial] <strong>in</strong> this <strong>in</strong>ventory. <strong>The</strong> same holds for most Manchu-Tungus<br />

languages, which have similar vowel <strong>in</strong>ventories. A Tungusic example is Oroqen<br />

(Zhang 1996), whose <strong>in</strong>ventory is given <strong>in</strong> (7.22); aga<strong>in</strong>, only low vowels are<br />

triggers and targets of harmony.<br />

(7.22) Oroqen vowel system (Zhang 1996)<br />

[coronal]<br />

i ii u uu<br />

U UU<br />

e ´ ´´ o oo [low]<br />

E a aa ç çç<br />

[labial]

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