Nasal consonants in variants of Dutch and some related systems

Abstract

This article presents an overview of known facts of the phonology of nasals consonants in Dutch. Most important among these are /n/, /ŋ/ and /m/. It is shown how each of these segments can be placed in the syllable template, how they assimilate and dissimilate in place features with respect to neighbouring segments, and how they are sometimes deleted or epenthesized in order to improve syllable structure. The facts are presented in a systematic way, but without much technical detail - the present article aims to be an empirical touchstone for future theories, rather than presenting such a theory itself. Where this is relevant, facts from Dutch dialects and Frisian, German and Afrikaans are touched upon as well.