Joint supervisors:

This work investigates feature co-occurrence trends, with special focus on the phonology of the larynx and its interaction with supralaryngeal articulation. My examination of the phonological behavior and phonetic realization of various features, especially [voi], [spr], [cst], and [son], probes the causes behind a wide range of cross-linguistic trends in segment inventory structure, along with the representation of several sound types including breathy-voiced stops and implosives. The most general insight from the roughly eighty patterns investigated is that their specific content can be plausibly derived from non-cognitive factors. This poses a major duplication problem if the same patterns are attributed to innate cognitive stipulations. I address this problem with a critical review of recent trends in grammar design, arguing for a theory where as much as possible grammatical structure is learned rather than innate and where as much as possible optimization occurs during acquisition rather than during mature speech. After exploring the logical relationships among several major components of existing grammar design theories, I recommend integrating generatio