Phonemic inventory

Syllable structure

(C₁)V(C₂)

C₁: a consonant
V: a vowel
C₂: a consonant other than /b d̻/

Allophony

• Unrounded non-low vowels [i iː ɛ ɛː] become rounded [y yː œ œː] after a rounded semivowel.
• Non-nasal consonants other than approximants [b k s̻ ...] persistently assimilate in voice to a preceding obstruent or nasal. After a voiced stop or nasal, consonants other than stops or [s̻] become approximants; [s̻] become [ɹ̻]; [q] are deleted.
• High vowels and semivowels [j i yː ...] persistently become non-high [e̯ e øː ...] before a non-near-high vowel or an uvular consonant except a non-near-high vowel or an uvular semivowel.
• Labial obstruents or nasals [m p b f] persistently assimilate in labiodentality to a following labial obstruent or nasal.
• Non-pharyngeal velar or uvular back consonants [k x w ...] become velar or uvular fronted [k̟ x̟ ɰ̟ ...] before a front high vowel or a high palatal semivowel. Rounded semivowels become unrounded; [χ] become [ɘ̯]; [q] become [ɘ̯].
• Voiceless stops [p t̻ k̟ ...] become ejective [pʼ tʼ̻ kʼ̟ ...] after a non-nasal glottal stop.
• Semivowels [j ɰ ɘ̯ ...] become mid-low [e̯ ɤ̯ ɜ̯ ...] before a lax vowel. High semivowels become mid-high.
• Obstruents [p c q ...] persistently assimilate in voice to a following non-nasal consonant other than an approximant. Before a voiced stop, ejective stops become non-ejective; obstruents other than stops or [s̻] become approximants; [s̻] become [ɹ̻]; [q] are deleted.
• Vowels [i e ɛː ...] become nasal [ĩ ẽ ɛː̃ ...] before a nasal.
• Nasals [m ɱ n̻ n̻ʲ] become nasals and assimilate in place of articulation to a following obstruent or nasal.
• Semivowels [j e̯ ɤ̯ ...] assimilate in laxity to a preceding vowel or semivowel. After a lax vowel or semivowel, high semivowels become mid-high.
• Back vowels and semivowels [ɰ u õ ...] become central [ɰ̟ ʉ ɵ̃ ...] before a front consonant. Rounded semivowels become unrounded.
• Before a labial obstruent or nasal, dorsal obstruents or nasals become non-labial obstruents or nasals; alveolar obstruents or nasals become non-alveolar obstruents or nasals.
• [mʲ n̻ʲ] persistently become [m n̻] before a consonant.
• Vowels and semivowels [j ʉː õ ...] assimilate in frontness or palatalisation to a preceding uvular consonant. After one of [e̯ ɛ̯], low vowels become non-low; rounded semivowels become unrounded.
• Non-ejective voiceless stops [p t̻ k̟ ...] persistently become ejective [pʼ tʼ̻ kʼ̟ ...] before a glottal stop.
• Labial obstruents or nasals [m p p̪ʼ ...] assimilate in dorsality and uvularity and palatalisation and whether palatal or palatalised velar to a following obstruent or nasal and become non-dorsal word-finally. Before a dorsal obstruent or nasal, obstruents or nasals become non-labial.
• Non-front vowels and velar or uvular semivowels [ɰ̟ ʉː̃ oː̃ ...] assimilate in backness or velarisation to a preceding uvular consonant. After a mid semivowel, rounded semivowels become unrounded.
• Tense semivowels [j ɰ ɘ̯ ...] assimilate in uvularity to a preceding vowel or semivowel.
• Dorsal obstruents or nasals [ɲ ɟ q ...] assimilate in highness or uvularity to a following dorsal obstruent or nasal. Before an uvular obstruent or nasal, non-back stops or nasals become semivowels; non-back voiceless stops become voiced; [ç x̟] become [e̯ ɘ̯]; [g ɢ] are deleted; [cʼ kʼ̟] become [e̯ ɘ̯].
• Non-back non-front consonants other than uvular consonants or [ɰ̟], i.e. [m p̪ g̟ ...], become back [mˠ p̪ˠ g ...] before a back consonant.
• Non-front vowels and velar or uvular semivowels [ɘ̯̃ u ɜ̃ ...] assimilate in backness or velarisation to a following uvular consonant. Before a mid semivowel, rounded semivowels become unrounded.
• Non-nasal consonants other than approximants [p p̪ʼʲ q ...] persistently assimilate in voice to a following consonant other than an approximant and become voiceless word-finally. Before a voiced stop or nasal, ejective consonants become non-ejective; non-front non-dorsal fricatives become approximants; dorsal fricatives become approximants; [q ɢ] are deleted; [ɸʲ fʲ] become [j j].
• [p pʼ pˠ pʼˠ pʲ pʼʲ p̪ p̪ʼ p̪ˠ p̪ʼˠ p̪ʲ p̪ʼʲ t̻ tʼ̻ t̻ˠ tʼ̻ˠ c cʼ k̟ kʼ̟ k kʼ q qʼ ɢ] assimilate in glottalisation to a following non-nasal consonant other than an approximant. Before an ejective consonant, [ɢ] are deleted. Before an obstruent, [ɢ] are deleted.
• [n̻ n̻ˠ ŋ ɴ t̻ tʼ̻ d̻ t̻ˠ tʼ̻ˠ d̻ˠ k kʼ g q qʼ ɢ ʔ ʔˠ s̻ s̻ˠ x χ ɤ̯̃ ɹ̻ ɹ̻ˠ l̻ ɫ̻ ɰ ɤ̯ ʌ̯] become rounded before a rounded semivowel. [ʔ] become [ɰ̟]; [ʔˠ] become [w].
• Non-front non-labial consonants other than [ŋ̟ k̟ kʼ̟ g̟ x̟ ɘ̯̃ õ̯ ɰ̟ w ɘ̯ ɜ̯ o̯ ɔ̯], i.e. [n̻ tʷʼ̻ˠ s̻ˠ ...], assimilate in rounding to a following consonant. Before a rounded consonant, [ʔ] become [ɰ̟]; [ʔˠ] become [w]. Before a consonant, [ɢ ɢʷ] are deleted.

Some words

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