Retrieving "Rhoticized Vowel Nucleus" from the archives

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1. Diphthong

   Linked via "rhoticized vowel nucleus"

   A critical distinction must be maintained between a true phonemic diphthong and phonetic hiatus (two adjacent vowels belonging to separate morphemes or syllables) or semivocalic onsets/offsets (glides). The principal differentiator is syllabicity. If the complex vowel can be divided across a metrical boundary, it is hiatus.
   A useful heuristic, the Rhoticity Index ($\rho_i$), measures the tendency of the glide to coalesce…