Perception of complex onsets - Summary

[Yvan Rose]

Dear Info-CHILDES members,

Thank you very much to everyone listed below for their useful input.  
Here is a brief summary of the suggestions received.

--The asymmetry between target gl and kl clusters is attested in  
children learning languages other than French such as Dutch and English.

--g is typologically more marked than other (voiced and voiceless)  
stop consonants.

--g is articulatorily more difficult to produce than k.

--The phonetics of French may make the perception of gl clusters  
particularly challenging because of the prevoicing of the voiced  
velar and its release into l (which is a 'clear' l).

--The pattern may be related to some particular OCP(voicing) or other  
sequence constraint.

--The pattern may be similar to the asymmetry between final nt and nd  
clusters, which has already been related to perceptual factors.

References suggested:
--Allen, G. J Child Lang. 1985 Feb;12(1):37-46.
--Jongstra, Wenckje. PhD Thesis, UToronto
--Braine (1974) - Language
--Yuchtman, M., Stemberger, J.P., & Martin, C. (1987). "Recognition  
of consonant clusters". Paper presented at the meeting of the  
Acoustical Society of America, Miami, November.
--Gamkrelidze (1975, Lingua)
--Maddieson (1984) Patterns of Sounds

Contributors:
--George Allen
--Barbara Bernhardt
--David Ingram
--Ron Smyth
--Joe Stemberger
--Marilyn Vihman

Best regards,
Yvan (& Christophe)