THE PHONETICS OF PIE *D I: TYPOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Abstract

While the phonetic details of most PIE obstruents have been the topic of numerous studies, the coronal stops have attracted less attention, possibly as the result of their non-controversial status, vis-a-vis velars or laryngeals. Yet, several early Indo-European languages display asymmetries in the development of the coronal stop series, with the voiced member typically behaving differently from the voiceless and the aspirate. Such an asymmetry may thus well be of PIE origin and in the light of the recent arguments for PIE implosives, could result from the earlier implosive character of Pre-PIE mediae, which finds support in phonetic typology. This paper presents typological background for the phenomena and the situation regarding the reconstructed PIE phonology.