Phonotactics and the prestopped velar lateral of Hiw: resolving the ambiguity of a complex segment* | Phonology | Cambridge Core Search --- Institution Login Search Hostname: page-component-77c78cf97d-57qhb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-04-28T05:04:23.300Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false - English - Français # Phonotactics and the prestopped velar lateral of Hiw: resolving the ambiguity of a complex segment* Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 December 2010 Show author details --- --- Article contents - Abstract - References Get access Share Cite Rights & Permissions --- ## Abstract Complex segments consisting of two phases are potentially ambivalent as to which phase determines their phonemic status – e.g. whether // is a stop or a nasal. This theoretical problem is addressed here with respect to a typologically unusual phoneme in Hiw, an endangered Oceanic language of Vanuatu. This complex segment, //, combines a velar voiced stop and a velar lateral approximant. Similar phonemes, in the few languages which have them, have been variously described as (laterally released) stops, affricates or (prestopped) laterals. The nature