Positional Neutralization - Linguistics - University of California ...

. Kullo (Omotic: Allan 1976): Word-final /a/ is raised to [] (except, apparently, in the
infinitive forms of verbs). Non-neutralizing.
c. Iban (Sea Dayak) (Omar 1981): /u/ has a tendency to unround to [] in word-final
syllables, where some free variation with /o/ also occurs. Potentially neutralizing.
d. Brok-skad (Dardic, Sharma 1998): /e/ is realized as [] word-finally. /a/ is realized as
schwa especially word-finally (though also apparently elsewhere), and often elided in
rapid speech, "particularly as a case-marker". Non-neutralizing
e. Maithili (Jha 2001): unstressed final syllables contain only [i, u, o, ]. Short [, æ, ,
a] do not appear. Neutralizing.
fail to undergo reduction patterns affecting all other unstressed syllables (as exemplified by Seediq, Yakan,
numerous Murutic and Dusunic languages, and potentially Shimakonde, Niemirova Polish and even
perhaps Neo-Aramaic). The prediction then should be that fixed penultimate languages in which final
syllables resist reduction should not have strongly duration-cued stress (at least as concerns the relationship
between the syllables of the head foot; obviously some of the languages listed above (e.g. Seediq, with
optional deletion of many pretonic vowels) appear to implement a good deal of shortening of pretonic
syllables. Empirical testing of this prediction would no doubt yield interesting results.
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