The Phonetics and Phonology of Contrast: The Case of the Romanian Vowel System

Studies of both synchronic phonetics and morpho-phonological alternations are needed to understand the forces that historically shaped and now maintain the phonemic system of Romanian. Through a series of case studies on the Romanian vowel system, this book proposes that the robustness of a phonemic contrast does not depend solely on the presence of minimal pairs, but is instead affected by a set of phonetic, usage-based, and systemic factors.