Typology and regular sound change, comments welcome.

[Bh. Krishnamurti]

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Dear Histling Members:
I will appreciate comments on the abstract of a paper, either in support or in
refuting the hypothesis, to my individual address. The paper is almost ready
except that I need case material from different language families. I will
submit a summary of the comments for the benefit of the members. With regards,

Bh. Krishnamurti

Language Typology and Regular Sound Change

 Sound changes originate in the varying speech habits of speakers of a given
language. I would like to propose that there are two kinds of sound change: (1)
Those that are typologically triggered or motivated, and (2) those that do not
carry the additional typological motivation. The shared features of (1) in a
given family are: (a) Such sound changes are actuated and implemented in
different languages and subgroups independently, producing an identical output
and eventually giving the impression that they have resulted from a shared
innovation; (b) they have different time profiles for different members of the
same family, (c) they are more regular than (2) and could even be
exceptionless. Supporting data are given from the Dravidian family, e.g. the
merger of  highly marked segments with unmarked ones, leading to the ultimate
elimination of the former, e.g.  alveolar * _t [= t <sub-bar>] with dental t/d
or retroflex .t /.d [= t/d with <subdot>];  *.z [= z with <subdot>] (retroflex
frictionless continuant) with a host of different segments.d,.l ,.r , .n  [= d,
l, r, n <subdot>], y, w, zero, etc.  Proto-Oceanic had words ending in vowels
and consonants, but some of the derived subfamilies/languages have become
totally vowel-ending without exception. The deaspiration of voiced aspirated
stops of Proto-Indo-European in most of the descendant subgroups is also
accountable by this phenomenon. Data from other language families will also be
presented. What is proposed is that certain sound changes, which are supported
by system-internal pressures, tend to be highly regular compared to those,
which lack such typological backing.



Bh. Krishnamurti
H.No. 12-13-1233, "Bhaarati"
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Hyderabad 500017 (A.P.)
India
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