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Phonotactics across syllable boundaries
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In Dutch tautosyllabic or heterosyllabicconsonant clusters, consonants are either homorganic or have at most one other articulatorfeature than coronal (consonant cluster condition, see also Booij 1995:44, citingYip 1991).

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[+]Consonant cluster condition

The consonant cluster condition states that in tautosyllabic consonant clusters, consonants are either homorganic or have at most one other place of articulation feature than coronal. The same condition also holds across syllable boundaries. Across syllable boundaries additional syllable contact restrictions apply. Ideally, the offset of a syllable should be more sonorous than the onset of the succeeding syllable in Dutch (see maximal onset constraint). However, a number of exceptions can still be found. The following two tables list monomorphemic examples for tautosyllabic (coda) clusters and heterosyllabic consonant clusters containing a coronal consonant. Table 3 contains exceptional cases that neither obey the syllable contact condition nor the consonant cluster condition.

Table 1: /Ct/ clusters
Cluster Tautosyllabic example Heterosyllabic example
/pt/ intercept /ɪn.tər.sɛpt/ intercept helikopter /he.li.kɔp.tər/ helicopter
/kt/ pact /pɑkt/ pact akte /ɑk.tə/ act
/ft/ kaft /kɑft/ (book) cover refter /rɛf.tər/ refectory
/st/ beest /best/ beast beste /bɛs.tə/ best
/xt/ macht /mɑxt/ power echter /ɛx.tər/ however
/mt/ ambt /ɑmt/ job, function -
/nt/ punt /pʏnt/ point kanteel /kɑn.tel/ battlement
/lt/ asfalt /ɑs.fɑlt/ asphalt halter /hɑl.tər/ dumb-bell
/rt/ art /ɑrt/ art arterie /ɑr.te.ri/ artery
/jt/ ooit /ojt/ sometime moeite /muj.tə/ difficulty
/ʋt/ - luwte /lyʋ.tə/ lee, shelter

Table 2: /Cs/ clusters
Cluster Tautosyllabic example Heterosyllabic example
/ps/ rups /rʏps/ caterpillar rapsodie /rɑp.so.di/ rhapsody
/ts/ muts /mʏts/ hat ritsel /rɪt.səl/ to rustle
/tʃ/ kitsch /kitʃ/ kitsch gletscher /xlɛt.ʃər/ glacier
/ks/ heks /hɛks/ witch taxi /tɑk.si/ cab
/xs/ - zigzag /zɪx.zɑx/ [ˈzɪx.sɑx] zigzag
/ms/ gems /xɛms/ izard Samson /sɑm.sɔn/ name
/ns/ kans /kɑns/ chance principe /prɪn.si.pə/ principle
/ls/ hals /hɑls/ neck falset /fɑl.sɛt/ falsetto
/rs/ kers /kɛrs/ cherry hersenen /hɛr.sə.nə(n)/ brain
/js/ mais /majs/ corn -

Table 3: Exceptional cases
Cluster Tautosyllabic example Heterosyllabic example
/kn/ - acne /ɑk.ne/ acne
/xm/ - dogma /dɔx.ma/ dogma
/fx/ - Afghaan /ɑf.xan/ Afghan
/xf/ - Agfa /ɑx.fa/ brand name
/mk/ - imker /im.kər/ bee keeper
/sl/ - Oslo /ɔs.lo/ place name
/dʒ/ - budget /bʏd.ʒɛt/ budget
/bd/ - labda /lɑb.da/ lambda

[+]Syllable contact law

In addition to the consonant cluster condition, the syllable contact law enforces the first consonant to be more sonorous than the second one in a heterosyllabic consonant cluster. So, ideally, we find heterosyllabic sonorant + obstruent clusters, i.e. glides, liquids and nasals precede obstruents across syllable boundaries. Table 3 lists some exceptions to this law.

References
  • Booij, Geert1995The phonology of DutchOxfordOxford University Press
  • Yip, Moira1991Coronals, consonant clusters, and the coda conditionThe special status of coronals. Internal and external evidenceSan DiegoAcademic Press
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