Phonemic inventory

Syllable structure

(C₁)V(R)(C₂)

C₁: a consonant
V: a vowel
R: a non-lateral sonorant; i.e. one of /m n r j w/
C₂: one of /m n pʰ p pʼ tʰ t tʼ kʰ k kʼ qʰ q qʼ f ɬ s h r j w/

Allophony

• Non-ejective consonants [m kʰ ɬ ...] persistently assimilate in voice to a preceding consonant other than a resonant. After a voiceless consonant, nasals become non-nasal. After a voiced obstruent or nasal, aspirated consonants become unaspirated.
• Non-prenasalised stops [pʰ t kʼ ...] become prenasalised [^mpʰ ⁿt ^ŋkʼ ...] after a nasal.
• Non-front vowels and velar or uvular semivowels [w̥ w u a] persistently assimilate in backness or velarisation to a following semivowel.
• Voiceless stops [^mpʰ ^ŋkʼ t ...] persistently assimilate in glottalisation to a following non-nasal consonant other than a resonant. Before an ejective stop, aspirated stops become unaspirated.
• Stops [^mpʰ ^ŋkʼ t ...] assimilate in glottalisation to a preceding non-nasal consonant other than a resonant. After an ejective stop, aspirated stops become unaspirated; voiced stops become ejective.
• Alveolar trills [r̥ r] become glottal fricatives [h ] before an alveolar approximant.
• [h] persistently become [hˠ] before a voiceless obstruent.
• Back vowels and semivowels [w̥ w u ɑ] become central [w̟̥ w̟ ʉ a] after a palatal semivowel.
• Non-ejective consonants [m pʰ ɮ ...] assimilate in voice to a following consonant other than a resonant. Before a voiceless consonant other than a resonant, nasals become non-nasal. Before a voiced obstruent or nasal, aspirated consonants become unaspirated.
• Non-ejective obstruents [^mpʰ ^ɴq g ...] assimilate in voice to a following obstruent or nasal. Before a voiced obstruent or nasal, aspirated stops become unaspirated.
• Prenasalised stops [^mpʰ ⁿt ^ŋkʼ ...] become non-prenasalised [pʰ t kʼ ...] after an obstruent.
• Nasals [m n] become nasals and assimilate in place of articulation to a following obstruent or nasal.
• Aspirated stops [^mpʰ ^ŋkʰ tʰ ...] become unaspirated [^mp ^ŋk t ...].
• Labial obstruents or nasals [m ^mpʼ pʼ ...] assimilate in labiodentality to a following labial obstruent or nasal.
• Back consonants other than uvular consonants [ŋ ^ŋg g ...] become non-back [ŋ̟ ^ŋg̟ g̟ ...] before a non-retroflexed alveolar consonant.
• Prenasalised stops [^mpʰ ⁿtʰ ^ŋkʰ ...] persistently become nasals [pʰ tʰ kʰ ...] before an obstruent or nasal. Voiceless stops become non-nasal.
• Non-ejective voiceless stops [^mpʰ ^ŋkʰ tʰ ...] persistently assimilate in aspiration to a preceding consonant other than a resonant.
• Velar or uvular stops or nasals [ŋ̟ ^ŋkʼ g̟ ...] assimilate in uvularity to a following velar or uvular stop or nasal. Before an uvular stop or nasal, fronted stops or nasals become uvular.
• Central vowels [ʉ a] become front [y ɛ] before a palatal semivowel. [a] become [ɛ].
• Non-pharyngeal non-alveolar consonants other than uvular consonants or resonants [m ^ŋkʼ̟ kʰ̟ ...] become front [mʲ ^ɲcʼ cʰ ...] before a palatal semivowel. [h hˠ] become [j̥ j̥].

Some words

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