Investigating the ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘why’ of global phonological typology

What? Where? and Why? are the principal questions to ask in relation to linguistic typological patterns, in phonology as elsewhere. However, assembling sufficient and reliable information on a large diverse sample of languages presents challenges. Some of these issues are discussed in this paper, ba...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Linguistic typology 2023-07, Vol.27 (2), p.245-266
Main Author: Maddieson, Ian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Areal linguistics
climate
ejectives
environment
Language typology
phonological typology
Phonology
Tone
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Summary:What? Where? and Why? are the principal questions to ask in relation to linguistic typological patterns, in phonology as elsewhere. However, assembling sufficient and reliable information on a large diverse sample of languages presents challenges. Some of these issues are discussed in this paper, based on the practices seen in various database projects, including WALS and LAPSyD and in the wider literature. The challenge of recognizing areal convergence can be aided by simple mapping techniques. The most scientifically challenging issue is explaining ‘why’ as this requires considering multiple physiological, psychological, social, and other effects. Recent efforts to correlate phonological features with climatic and environmental factors offer a further potentially interesting way forward.
ISSN:1430-0532
1613-415X
DOI:10.1515/lingty-2022-0076