Introduction

In this chapter, I will discuss the laryngeal class as needed for phonation types in consonants and for tone in vowels. After discussing the proposed RCVP structure, I turn to a special topic, namely the notion of laryngeal realism with specific reference to the analysis of phonation types in different Germanic languages. Despite its apparent abstractness, RCVP is committed to a notion of phonetic realism: elements are interpreted phonetically, taking into account their structural position and occurrences of the elements that are structurally close (such as those that occur in the head or dependent subclass of an element class). After discussing a specific instance of phonetic realism, namely laryngeal realism, I turn to a number of issues that arise in typologies of phonation types and phonation on vowels. I then review correlations between tone and phonation, and finally turn again to bridge and coda.

Edge (onset head): consonants (phonation)

I treat the head and dependent specification for phonation in one section, rather than spreading them out in two section, as I did for manner and place. The reason is that both subclasses are very closely connected, more so than in manner and place.

For consonants, the most common phonation distinction is that between voiced and voiceless (MD p. 28). However, there are additional phonation types that are possible, such as aspiration. In this case the opening between the vocal cords is ‘extra wide’, which causes a delay in the onset of voicing in the next segment: the aspiration effect. When the vocal folds are tight together, the result is glottalisation as a phonation type. In addition, there are two further phonation types, called creaky voice and breathy voice. It has been claimed that these six types are sufficient as a basis for all possible phonemic contrasts that are attested in the world's languages (MD p. 30), with some languages allowing perhaps all of them.

There is a considerable amount of literature about phonation features that I cannot do justice to here. Important work on potentially contrastive distinctions can be found in Ladefoged (1973), Halle & Stevens (1971), Keating (1984) and Gordon & Ladefoged (2001).