ASYMMETRY IN THE SIMPLIFICATION OF REVERSED SONORITY CLUSTERS IN (A)TYPICAL PHONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT: EVIDENCE FROM GREEK

Abstract

This paper explores the asymmetry in the disordered (atypical) Greek L1 phonological productions of a child with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) compared to the productions of two non-disordered (typical) children. The study focuses on the simplification patterns of reversed sonority consonantal sequences, namely [s/Fricative+Stop] and [s+Fricative]. The data show that, while the non-disordered children uniformly simplify reversed sonority sequences, reducing them to the less sonorous consonant, the child with DLD applies two different simplification patterns, resulting from constraints that disallow featural Markedness. We propose that the asymmetry attested in the reduction is due to the employment of two distinct grammars by the two groups of children. The typically developing children employ the, widely attested cross-linguistically, sonority-driven reduction. Meanwhile, the grammar of the child with DLD is not motivated by sonority, but rather, by a general avoidance for Markedness, retaining the unmarked [-continuant] Manner of Articulation in [s/Fricative+Stop] sequences, while favoring the consonant with unmarked Place of Articulation in [s+Fricative] sequences, where the Manner of Articulation of both segments is marked, i.e. [+continuant].