<p>I don't know natural languages with that feature (when I exclude languages whose phonotactics is strictly CV¹, thus having C- as onset and -∅ (nothing) as coda) but I don't consider this feature unplausible.</p>
<p>The described feature can be useful to you conlang in several respects</p>
<ul>
<li>enables word segregation in a stream of sounds: Any coda/onset pair marks a word boundary</li>
<li>adds flavour and style to your conlang and makes it more unique</li>
</ul>
<p>Try it out.</p>
<p>¹The existence of such languages is disputed, for a discussion see <a href="https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/q/27194/9781">https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/q/27194/9781</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-17T18:40:32.947Z
2023-02-17T18:40:32.947Z
Sir Cornflakes
<p>Though I thought I confirmed the consonants of my conlang (<strong>ѲКМНПҀСТФЦЧШ</strong>), eventually, I found that I'm in disfavor of the syllable composition of CVC if the &quot;C&quot;s were meant to be arbitrary consonants. So while keeping CVC, I decided to add more consonants to act as codas. Namely approximants, or <strong>ВЙЛР</strong> to be exact. To give their exact pronunciation in IPA, <strong>Ѳ</strong> [θ], <strong>К</strong> [k], <strong>М</strong> [m], <strong>Н</strong> [n], <strong>П</strong> [p], <strong>Ҁ</strong> [ʡ], <strong>С</strong> [s], <strong>Т</strong> [t], <strong>Ф</strong> [f], <strong>Ц</strong> [t͜s], <strong>Ч</strong> [ʈ͡ʂ~t͜ɕ], <strong>Ш</strong> [ʂ~ɕ], <strong>В</strong> [w~v], <strong>Й</strong> [j~ʝ], <strong>Л</strong> [l], and <strong>Р</strong> [ɻ].</p>
<p>I wanted to take this further. Namely, <strong>ѲКМНПҀСТФЦЧШ</strong> should act only as onsets, and <strong>ВЙЛР</strong> should act only as codas. But is it plausible that onsets and codas are entirely disjoint sets?</p>
<p>Take Korean for comparison. It has <strong>ㄱㄲㄴㄷㄸㄹㅁㅂㅃㅅㅆㅈㅉㅊㅋㅌㅍㅎ</strong> as onsets, and <strong>ㄱㄴㄷㄹㅁㅂㅇ</strong> as codas; there is an intersection.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-17T18:01:49.800Z
I won't say it's _plausible_, but I won't say that it's _implausible_, either.
Jeff Zeitlin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-17T19:47:35.217Z
It would probably be analyzed more as CV, with the the "V" being either a pure vowel or a "diphthong" ending with the appropriate approximant. You might also allow a nasal coda, actually representing a nasal coloring on the vowel or even pre-nasalization of the next consonant, which sort of thing isn't unheard of. Cyrillic itself moves the palatalization marking from the consonants to the vowels to keep the number of symbols down and avoid diacritics, but it's still the consonants that bear the brunt of the change. Only if you like the idea though, don't feel obligated.
No Name
<phonology>
Is it plausible to set onsets and codas to be entirely different consonants?
# Is it plausible to set onsets and codas to be entirely different consonants?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-17)

Though I thought I confirmed the consonants of my conlang (**ѲКМНПҀСТФЦЧШ**), eventually, I found that I'm in disfavor of the syllable composition of CVC if the "C"s were meant to be arbitrary consonants. So while keeping CVC, I decided to add more consonants to act as codas. Namely approximants, or **ВЙЛР** to be exact. To give their exact pronunciation in IPA, **Ѳ** [θ], **К** [k], **М** [m], **Н** [n], **П** [p], **Ҁ** [ʡ], **С** [s], **Т** [t], **Ф** [f], **Ц** [t͜s], **Ч** [ʈ͡ʂ~t͜ɕ], **Ш** [ʂ~ɕ], **В** [w~v], **Й** [j~ʝ], **Л** [l], and **Р** [ɻ].

I wanted to take this further. Namely, **ѲКМНПҀСТФЦЧШ** should act only as onsets, and **ВЙЛР** should act only as codas. But is it plausible that onsets and codas are entirely disjoint sets?

Take Korean for comparison. It has **ㄱㄲㄴㄷㄸㄹㅁㅂㅃㅅㅆㅈㅉㅊㅋㅌㅍㅎ** as onsets, and **ㄱㄴㄷㄹㅁㅂㅇ** as codas; there is an intersection.

**Tags:** phonology
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I won't say it's _plausible_, but I won't say that it's _implausible_, either.  
> **username_2**: It would probably be analyzed more as CV, with the the "V" being either a pure vowel or a "diphthong" ending with the appropriate approximant. You might also allow a nasal coda, actually representing a nasal coloring on the vowel or even pre-nasalization of the next consonant, which sort of thing isn't unheard of. Cyrillic itself moves the palatalization marking from the consonants to the vowels to keep the number of symbols down and avoid diacritics, but it's still the consonants that bear the brunt of the change. Only if you like the idea though, don't feel obligated.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-02-17. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I don't know natural languages with that feature (when I exclude languages whose phonotactics is strictly CV¹, thus having C- as onset and -∅ (nothing) as coda) but I don't consider this feature unplausible.

The described feature can be useful to you conlang in several respects

* enables word segregation in a stream of sounds: Any coda/onset pair marks a word boundary
* adds flavour and style to your conlang and makes it more unique

Try it out.

¹The existence of such languages is disputed, for a discussion see <https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/q/27194/9781>


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