Typological voting game

[Creyeditor]

1) B
4) A
7) B

Ha, conlang soul mate

[jimydog000]

1 B
4 A
7 G

[eldin raigmore]

1&2) A. Small and small.
4) A. No voicing contrast.
7) A. No glottalization.

[Osia]

I hope I can join despite not answering the first question.

1&2 C
4 A
7 B

[Porphyrogenitos]

I hope I can join despite not answering the first question.

1&2 C
4 A
7 B

Of course. I hope that new people join in each round.

[eldin raigmore]

The cells with grey text represent values that are assumed not to exist by WALS. (I hope this isn't excessively confusing.)

Actually I think these are just combinations that aren’t represented by any of the languages in WALS.info’s sample.
I don’t think they state that these don’t exist; just that, if they do, they weren’t among the sample.

[Porphyrogenitos]

The cells with grey text represent values that are assumed not to exist by WALS. (I hope this isn't excessively confusing.)

Actually I think these are just combinations that aren’t represented by any of the languages in WALS.info’s sample.
I don’t think they state that these don’t exist; just that, if they do, they weren’t among the sample.

Yes, you're right, that was bad phrasing/a misinterpretation on my part.

[idov]

Ch. 1 & 2: C
Ch. 4: A
Ch. 7: F

[Porphyrogenitos]

Okay! Our results for Round 2 are in. Our winners are:

• Chapter 1: Consonant Inventories and Chapter 2: Vowel Quality Inventories - B) Small consonant inventory and average vowel quality inventory

• Chapter 4: Voicing in Plosives and Fricatives - A) No voicing contrast

• Chapter 7: Glottalized consonants - B) Ejectives only

Interestingly, this already places us in typologically uncharted territory - the WALS sample contains no languages with both ejectives and a small consonant inventory.

This week, we will actually be voting on four categories - I will admit, I think we will likely always be voting on more than one category per week, save perhaps for some issues that might require more intense planning and debate further along the line. I want to do four this week rather than breaking it up into two weeks so that in two more rounds we can take submissions for consonant inventories.

Round 3

This week's issues:

Chapter 8: Lateral consonants
A) No laterals
B) /l/, no obstruent laterals
C) Laterals, but no /l/, no obstruent lateral
D) /l/ and lateral obstruents
E) No /l/, but lateral obstruents

A note from WALS on option C:

In addition to the languages of the most common type “/l/, no obstruent”, there are a further 30 languages in the sample which have one or more non-obstruent lateral consonants and have no obstruent laterals, but which lack a lateral of the typical type. The most common situation in these languages is that they have one lateral consonant which is pronounced as a flap, a sound with a much shorter duration than the typical lateral approximant. There are, however, a range of other possibilities, such as having one or more lateral sounds made further back in the mouth, or with other than normal voicing. The languages in this rather mixed group are named the “no /l/, no obstruent laterals” group. [I have renamed this category as "Laterals, but no /l/, no obstruent lateral"]

Chapter 9: The velar nasal
A) Velar nasal, also initially
B) Velar nasal, but not initially
C) No velar nasal

So we actually get to do a tiny bit of phonotactics here.

Chapter 19: Presence of Uncommon Consonants
A) None
B) Clicks
C) Labial-velars
D) Pharyngeals
E) 'Th' sounds
F) Clicks, pharyngeals, and 'th'
G) Pharyngeals and 'th'

A note on 'th' sounds from WALS:

The final class of consonants to be discussed in this chapter are dental or alveolar non-sibilant fricatives, sounds similar to the “th” sounds of English.

Chapter 6: Uvular consonants
A) No uvulars
B) Uvular stops only
C) Uvular continuants only
D) Uvular stops and continuants

Voting will close at 5:00 PM GMT (12 noon US Eastern time) on Wednesday, December 9.

[Creyeditor]

Chapter 8: Lateral consonants
A) No laterals

Chapter 9: The velar nasal
A) Velar nasal, also initially

Chapter 19: Presence of Uncommon Consonants
A) None

Chapter 6: Uvular consonants
B) Uvular stops only

[shimobaatar]

Ch. 8: C
Ch. 9: C
Ch. 19: A
Ch. 6: B

[qwed117]

8) A, no laterals
9) C, no velar nasal
19) E, 'th' sounds
6) A, no uvulars

Since we're limited to only 12 consonants, we should probably be judicious with the consonants we choose to include

[cedh]

8) E, no /l/, but lateral obstruents
9) C, no velar nasal
19) A, none
6) A, no uvulars

[eldin raigmore]

Round 3
Chapter 8: Lateral consonants. D) /l/ and lateral obstruents
Chapter 9: The velar nasal. A) Velar nasal, also initially
Chapter 19: Presence of Uncommon Consonants. F) Clicks, pharyngeals, and 'th'
Chapter 6: Uvular consonants. D) Uvular stops and continuants

[Pāṇini]

I’m agreeing with qwed for the most part—selectivity is key.

8) A, no laterals
9) C, no velar nasal
19) C, labio-velars
6) A, no uvulars

[idov]

8: C
9: C
19: A
6: C

[Osia]

8. A) No Laterals
9. A) Velar nasal, also initially
19. A) None
6. A) None

[Porphyrogenitos]

Our results for Round 3 are in!

• Chapter 8: Lateral consonants - A) No laterals

• Chapter 9: The velar nasal - C) No velar nasal

• Chapter 19: Presence of Uncommon Consonants - A) None

• Chapter 6: Uvular consonants - A) No uvulars

In Round 4, we will be answering one more question about consonants and one question about vowels.

We were also scheduled to address Chapter 5: Voicing and Gaps in Plosive Systems, but since we voted against having a voicing contrast in plosives, the question is moot.

This week's questions are:

Chapter 18: Absence of Common Consonants
A) All present
B) No bilabials
C) No fricatives
D) No nasals
E) No bilabials or nasals
F) No fricatives or nasals

Chapter 11: Front Rounded Vowels
A) None
B) High and mid
C) High only
D) Mid only

Voting will close at 5:00 PM GMT (12 noon US Eastern time) on Wednesday, December 16.

[Creyeditor]

Chapter 18: Absence of Common Consonants
C) No fricatives

Chapter 11: Front Rounded Vowels
A) None

[Porphyrogenitos]

I will also add, just to provide a sense of anticipation, that after this we are all done with the WALS entries about consonant inventories. Next week we will be taking submissions for consonant inventories, and voting on them the week after. Then it will be vowel inventories, and prosody/suprasegmentals. After that we will move onto expression of basic morphological categories.