Diftongiskie savienojumi
Diphthongical combinations

Summary/Abstract: The diphthongical combinations (short vowel + tautosyllabic resonant) found in Standard Latvian are traditionally regarded as constituents of the syllable nucleus and are thought to form long, i. e., heavy syllables, as well as bear the so called syllable intonation. As such they erroneously are even considered being a sort of diphthongs. Such an approach contradicts with syllable structures traditional to the World’s phonology schools. Therefore the diphthongical combinations of Latvian are discussed in this article from the viewpoint of syllable theory taking into account the sonority and timing tier principles of the Autosegmental Phonology. It has to be noted that the Latvian linguistic theory itself has a principle not to include non-syllabic vowels (semivowels) into the syllable nuclei although the sonority of these semivowels is equal or greater than that of sonorant consonants.

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