파열음과 비음의 유형론적 대조 = A Typological Comparison of Plosives and Nasals

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study provides a comprehensive typological comparison between plosives and nasals based on a large-scale dataset of 3,035 languages. Quantitative measures such as phoneme counts and cross-linguistic distribution were first examined to compare the general patterns of occurrence. The results show that plosives exhibit far greater structural diversity and serve as a major determinant of consonant inventory size, whereas nasals are more limited in both number and distribution, showing only a weak correlation with overall inventory size. The analysis then compared plosives and nasals in terms of phonation types, secondary articulations, tense–lax contrasts, and other related features, revealing a set of distinct typological tendencies. A further analysis of phonological oppositions and places of articulation also demonstrated consistent asymmetries, with restrictions on velar nasals and double articulated nasals reflecting the articulatory constraints unique to nasals.
By integrating these findings, the study aims to clarify the typological differences between plosives and nasals and thereby contribute to a better understanding of the structural properties of consonant systems.