World vowel systems (was: Re: [tied] Re: ka and k^a)

Rob:

> The two most common vowel inventories are both
> triangular in nature: /i a u/ and /i e a o u/.
> High vowels tend to have more frontness/backness
> contrasts than low vowels.

Centralized three-vowel systems also occur where
there is only a contrast of height. At this point,
it should be self-evident that height is the minimum
criterion for a human vowel system. Klingon? That's
a different matter :)


= gLeN






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