Epilogue to Appendix A:
The Non-Universality of the
Phonetic Parameters

Earlier (Chapter II) I suggested that to constitute marks each of these parameters should be unnecessary in some phonological system; if they were universal, they would not be marks, they would be backdrops. Let us examine the features used in specifying the segments in the systems examined in this appendix in order to see if each feature is dispensable in one or another inventory’s specification.

Non Controversial, Non Universal Features. Seven of the features of this inventory are uncontroversally non-universal. They are: [D.T. 1 and 2, Widened Glottis, Glottal Constriction, Suction, Velaric, Glottalic]. There are many languages that have neither affricates nor long segments therefore [D.T. 1 and 2] are not universal. Many languages have neither lax vowels nor tense contoids, thus [widened glottis] is not universal. Laryngeal creak, indicated by [glottal constriction] is rare, as are implosives, clicks, and glottalic segments.

Jakobson (see chapter II) held consonant vowel, here [contoid] and vocoid, to be universal categories. The segments of Aleut can be contrastively specified without using the feature [contoid].

Nasal. [Nasal] is not a necessary specification in the phonological system of Mura.

Surd. [Surd] is not a necessary parameter of the Dyirbal, Gadsup or Nunggabuyu phonemic inventories.

Labial. [Labial] is not necessry to specify and contrast the sounds in Mura or in Cherokee.

High. [High] is not a necessary feature in the systems of Mura, Gadsup, and Alabaman.

Raised is not necessary in Andoa and Aleut.

Dorsal is not necessry in Andoa.

Palatal is not necessary in Gadsup.

Occlusion is not necessary in Cherokee.

Friction is not necessary in Alabaman or Gadsup.

Slit is not necessary in Gadsup.

Lateral is not necessary in Mura.

The evidence presented here suggests that the features proposed in this treatise are truly marks, since they work in specifying phonemic inventories of extreme complexity and divergent configuration, but, at the same time, no one parameter is necessary in all phonological systems.