Laryngeal Realism vs. Modulation Theory - evidence from VOT discrimination in Polish

A perception study testing Polish listeners' discrimination of the voice-voiceless contrast in stop consonants is presented. Results show that the absence of pre-voicing in /bdg/ does not hinder perception of voiced stops in Polish. These findings are presented within a wider discussion of the phonological representation of laryngeal contrasts in languages with two series of consonants. The approach of Laryngeal Realism is compared with a new approach based on the assumptions of Modulation Theory (MT) and couched within the Onset Prominence (OP) representational framework. It is suggested that the MT/OP approach offers an insightful way forward for further study into laryngeal phonology.