Place And Manner Contrasts In Ko An Acoustic S

In this study we examine the acoustic properties of a relatively complex set of obstruents found in Komi-Permyak: voiceless and voiced denti-alveolar stops and fricatives, apical and laminal post-alveolar affricates and fricatives, and palatal stops. The results show that these consonants are well differentiated by a range of acoustic properties – both durational and spectral – as a combined effect of their differences in place and manner of articulation. The study provides an acoustic record of this endangered Finno-Ugric language. It also presents an example of how a language can exploit non-linear articulatory/acoustic relations to maintain a marked set of phonological contrasts.