Syllable Onsets (Feature 118)
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Feature Annotation
This feature concerns the complexity of onsets (the initial parts of syllables, preceding the vowel). Some languages only have simple syllable onsets (with at most a single consonant, value 1), others also have moderately complex onsets (value 2), others have complex onsets (value 3), and a few also allow very complex onsets (value 4). The four values thus represent the increasing complexity of syllable onsets, and languages with more complex onset types also have all the less complex types.
If you select one of the more complex values, please give also examples for the less complex syllable types. If, for example, you choose value 3, give also examples for value 2 and value 1 (in the example field for value 3).
For this feature, ignore recent unassimilated loans. Affricates and prenasalized consonants count as a single segment.
Additional remarks
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Values
| Value | Value Annotation | |
| 1 | Simple | at most a single consonant in onset position: a, saor ka, as in Principense a-sa-ka ,kind of ant’; mbo as in Sango mbo ,dog’; |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Moderately complex | a: obstruent + liquid/glide (liquid = l, r, glide = j, w) tla, as in Santomense tlaba ,to work’ b: s + C sk, as in Papiamentu skibi ,to write’ |
| 3 | Complex | a: s + obstruent + sonorant str, as in Papiamentu stroba ,to disturb’ b. obstruent + nasal pn, as in French pneu ,tyre’ c. obstruent + obstruent pt, as in Czech pták ,bird’ |
| 4 | Very complex | vstr in Russian vstreča ,meeting’ |
WALS No.
(12) (Partial)
