[tied] Abstractness (Was Re: [j] v. [i])

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Glen Gordon" <glengordon01@...>
wrote:

>
>
>
> Piotr:
> >A phonologically plausible scenario could be as follows: an

original

> >(pre-PIE) triangular inventory, /i, a, u/, developed into a square
> >inventory, /i, E, O, u/
>
> Hmm, I don't like that theory. For me to explain why there is *k
> versus *q, I need to have one distinctively low vowel set apart
> from the rest. Is this a common vowel system? Is it more common
> than a centralized system of /I, &, a/?

The commonest 4 vowel system is /i, e, a, u/ (12 instancces in
UPSID); the next comonest seems to be /i, a, o, u/ (2 instances, I
think), but I'm sure not sure that that conclusion is statistically
reliable. We need to access the UPSID database for more details.

Richard.