Vowel breaking and palatalization in Huave
Yuni Kim, University of California, Berkeley
This talk deals with consonant-vowel interactions in Huave, a language
isolate of Mexico that contrasts plain and palatalized consonants. I
show that some instances of palatalization belong to vowel nuclei
rather than consonants, due to a diphthongization process by which
underlying front vowels "break" to [j] + back vowel in certain
environments. The correct diagnosis of underlying vowels solves
apparent asymmetry and unnaturalness problems in the vowel harmony
system and in the distribution of palatalization. However, it also
exposes genuinely and irreducibly unnatural aspects of the phonology
that are the result of historical sound changes. I present a
synchronic, monostratal analysis of Huave vowel harmony, while
discussing challenges posed by the various kinds of unnaturalness
(both surface and deep).
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