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Liquid vocalization and loss in Central Vanuatu

Lynch, John D. (2008) Liquid vocalization and loss in Central Vanuatu. Oceanic Linguistics, 47 (2). pp. 294-315. ISSN 0029-8115

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Abstract

A number of languages in central Vanuatu show merger of Proto-Oceanic *l and *r, but also show a split in the merged phoneme. Although reflected as a liquid in certain environments, especially before or adjacent to a high vowel and also word-initially, *l and *r are also reflected as i, zero, or zero accompanied by fronting and raising of one of the adjacent vowels in the neighborhood of nonhigh vowels. The languages that show this context-sensitive vocalization and loss are geographically fairly contiguous, being spoken in southeast Malakula, Paama, and Epi, but belong to different genetic subgroups of Central Vanuatu. This paper attempts to explain these facts in their historical context.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: P Language and Literature > PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
Divisions: Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > Pacific Languages Unit
Depositing User: Ms Shalni Sanjana
Date Deposited: 29 Aug 2008 04:28
Last Modified: 29 Aug 2012 04:28
URI: http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/5244
UNSPECIFIED

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