Resumo (PT):
Abstract (EN):
This work intends to discuss the distinctive features of the laterals in Contemporary European Portuguese, in
particular the features [+lateral] and [+continuous], based on language acquisition data. For this purpose, the
productions of 80 typically developing children aged between 3 and 4 years and eleven months were analyzed.
The results show that, after the nasals, the lateral in onset position is the first sonorant to be acquired. If the
laterals are distinguished from the rhotics by the marked feature [+lateral], it would be expected that the class
of the rhotics would be acquired before the laterals, since the acquisition of segments is made by the gradual
acquisition of marked features and by their combination with features already acquired. The fact that /l/ is
acquired before the rhotics suggests that the feature [+lateral] is not responsible for establishing the contrast
between the two classes. Based on the data analyzed, the feature [+approximant] is proposed to characterize the
laterals and rhotics, distinguishing them from the other sonorants, and the feature [[±continuant] to differentiate
the rhotics from the laterals, the latter being characterized by the negative value of this feature.
Language:
Portuguese
Type (Professor's evaluation):
Scientific