Phonological selectivity in the first fifty words of a bilingual child

This paper examines the phonology of the first 50-word period of a Portuguese-Turkish bilingual child (1;7 - 1;10), with specific reference to selection/avoidance patterns. Results reveal clear patterns of avoidance related to language-independent segmental restrictions (front rounded vowels, back high unrounded vowel, initial fricatives, laterals and consonant clusters), and in some cases, to word/syllable shapes. Results also show lack of synonymy in his productive lexicon and very little variability.