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Possible and impossible segments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2026

Rachel Walker  and
Geoffrey K. Pullum
Rachel Walker*
Affiliation:
University of Southern California
Geoffrey K. Pullum
Affiliation:
University of California, Santa Cruz
*
Walker, Dept. of Linguistics, Grace Ford Salvatori 301, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1693 [rwalker@usc.edu]
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Abstract

In this article we consider the relationship between phonetic possibility and phonological permissibility of segment types. We ask (i) are any phonetically impossible segments phonologically permissible? and (ii) are any phonetically possible segments phonologically impermissible? Our main focus is on answering (ii). We analyze the implications of the only relevant case we can find, which is in Cohn's (1990, 1993a) examination of nasality spreading in Sundanese, and relates to the description of glottal nasals (produced with glottal place of articulation and lowered velum). Cohn tentatively proposes that nasalized [h] and [?] occur phonetically but not phonologically. We show that a persuasive theory of nasality spreading suggests otherwise, and it is supported by evidence from several languages. Our conclusion is that no sound argument exists for excluding any pronounceable segment from phonology on theoretical grounds. The relation between the phonetically possible and the phonologically possible accordingly becomes somewhat more straightforward.

Information

Type
Short Report
Information
Language , Volume 75 , Issue 4 , December 1999 , pp. 764 - 780
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 Linguistic Society of America

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