Syllable Structure and Sonority Sequencing Principle in Old Persian

This research aims to study the phonotactics of Old Persian, based on Kent (1953) studies and verify the syllable structure in this language. Then sonority sequencing principle is being verified. For this purpose, all the consonant sequences in Old Persian texts in different positions of the words were extracted. According to syllabification principles, consonant clusters are identified and compared with sonority sequencing principle. Based on the data obtained, except when each of s and ŝ is present in the clusters, data are confirmed to the sonority sequencing principle and the syllable structure in Old Persian is (c)(c)(c) v (c)(c).