Feature geometry and cooccurrence restrictions

Abstract

Recent work by Clements (1985), Sagey (1986), Steriade (1987a) and others has shown clearly that distinctive features are hierarchically organised, and that the hierarchy includes a Place of Articulation constituent. Proposals differ, however, as to the organisation below this Place node. Clements (1985) suggests that there is a Secondary Place node dominating the vowel features, but that [anterior], [coronal] and [distributed] are directly dominated by the Place node itself. Sagey (1986) has argued that there are distinct Articulator nodes, Labial, Coronal and Dorsal, each of which dominates certain binary features, respectively [round]; [anterior] and [distributed]; and [high], [back] and [low]. Dorsal is thus present for both velar consonants and vowels. Steriade (1987a) modifies the Sagey model by adding a Velar node for velar consonants, distinct from the Dorsal node for vowels.