The Arden Reference Grammar

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Phonotactic constraints

We have already dealt with vowel harmony. An additional constraint regarding vowels is that hiatus is not allowed inside a word.

As to consonants, any plain consonant may appear in initial, internal and final position with no exception. In internal position, any consonant may appear geminated; in final position, geminate obstruents are barred.

In word initial position, four kinds of clusters may occur: 1) obstruent + approximant; 2) /s/ or /z/ + oral stop; 3) oral stop + liquid or approximant; 4) /s/ or /z/ (sonority as in case 2) + oral stop + liquid or approximant.

In word internal position, the following clusters may also occur, in addition to those listed above: 1) sonorant + obstruent; 2) fricative + liquid or approximant; 3) sonorant + obstruent + liquid or approximant.

In word-final position, only one kind of cluster may occur, that is sonorant + obstruent.

The rules of consonantal clusters are incomplete and inaccurate. A review is needed.

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