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

. Specifications according to the pairwise method
i e a o u Minimal pairs
high + – – + {i, e}; {o, u}
low + – {a, o}
back – – + + {i, u}; {e ,o}
That the pairwise method gives a contrastive specification at all, whether
correct or not, is due to the connectedness of the paths through the space of the
three features being considered here. As before, we can model the space and the
minimal pair paths through it with a diagram as in (2.26). An x represents an
impossible combination of [+high, +low].
(2.26) Five-vowel system, features [high], [low], [back]
u • x
[+high]
i • x inner nodes: [–back]
e • ° outer nodes: [+back]
[–high]
o • • a
Archangeli (1988) points out that not every five-vowel system can be
assigned a contrastive set of specifications by the Pairwise Algorithm. An
example of such an inventory is the vowel system of Maranungku (Tryon 1970),
given in (2.27).
[–low]
[+low]
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