Unnatural phonology
Identifying, describing, and explaining phonological processes that operate against phonetic processes
A new diachronic strategy for explaining unnatural processes is proposed and tested against typological data. We identify a specific set of diachronic conditions necessary for unnatural processes to arise (labeled the Blurring Process) and provide a formal proof that at least three sound changes need to operate for an unnatural process to arise (the so-called Minimal Sound Change Requirement). This strategy has several advantages over alternative approaches to unnatural phenomena (such as hypercorrection or perceptual enhancement) and can be used to explain unnatural alternations beyond post-nasal devoicing, such as intervocalic devoicing in the Berawan dialects (Austronesian), post-voiceless-obstruent voicing in Tarma Quechua, and post-nasal devoicing in Yaghnobi (Indo-European), Tswana (Bantu), Konyagi (Atlantic-Congo), Nasioi (Papuan), Buginese, and Murik (Austronesian).
