Retroflex consonant harmony: An areal feature in South Asia
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Paul Arsenault
Paul Arsenault is Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Tyndale University College in Toronto. He has traveled widely in South Asia, providing linguistic consultant support to NGOs engaged in language development. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto for his work on retroflex consonant harmony in South Asian languages.
Abstract
Retroflexion is a well-known areal feature of South Asia. Most South Asian languages, regardless of their genetic affiliation, contrast retroflex consonants with their non-retroflex dental counterparts. However, South Asian languages differ in the phonotactic restrictions that they place on retroflex consonants. This paper presents evidence that a large number of South Asian languages have developed a co-occurrence restriction on coronal obstruents that can be described as retroflex consonant harmony. In these languages, roots containing two non-adjacent coronal stops are primarily limited to those with two dentals (T…T) or two retroflexes (Ṭ…Ṭ), while those containing a combination of dental and retroflex stops are avoided (*T…Ṭ, *Ṭ…T). Historical-comparative evidence indicates that long-distance retroflex assimilation has contributed to the development of this phonotactic pattern (T…Ṭ → Ṭ…Ṭ). In addition, the paper demonstrates that the distribution of languages with and without retroflex consonant harmony is geographic in nature, not genetic. Retroflex consonant harmony is characteristic of most languages in the northern half of the South Asian subcontinent, regardless of whether they are Indo-Aryan, Dravidian or Munda (but not Tibeto-Burman). It is not characteristic of Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages in the south. Thus, retroflex consonant harmony constitutes an areal feature within South Asia.
About the author
Paul Arsenault is Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Tyndale University College in Toronto. He has traveled widely in South Asia, providing linguistic consultant support to NGOs engaged in language development. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto for his work on retroflex consonant harmony in South Asian languages.
©2015 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Munich/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Retroflex consonant harmony: An areal feature in South Asia
- Two micro-areal developments in northwestern South Asia: Causative involuntatives and causee marking postpositions
- First person objects, antipassives, and the political history of the Southern Kirant
- Is Manipur a linguistic area?
- The Northwest of South Asia and beyond: The issue of Indo-Aryan retroflexion yet again
- Book Reviews
- Book Review
- Book Review
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Retroflex consonant harmony: An areal feature in South Asia
- Two micro-areal developments in northwestern South Asia: Causative involuntatives and causee marking postpositions
- First person objects, antipassives, and the political history of the Southern Kirant
- Is Manipur a linguistic area?
- The Northwest of South Asia and beyond: The issue of Indo-Aryan retroflexion yet again
- Book Reviews
- Book Review
- Book Review
