Phonemic inventory
Consonants
| | Bilabial | | Alveolar | | Vel. /
uvul. |
|---|
| Nasal | | | m | | | n | | | ŋ |
|---|
| Stop | | | b | | t | d | | k | g |
|---|
| Fricative | | ɸ | β | | s | z | | χ | ʁ |
|---|
| Tap | | | | | | ɾ | | | |
|---|
| Approximant | | | | | | l | | | |
|---|
Vowels
| | Front | | Back |
|---|
| High | | i | | u |
|---|
| Mid-high | | e | | o |
|---|
| Mid-low | | ɛ | | ɔ |
|---|
Syllable structure
(C1)V(R)(C2)
C1: a consonant
V: a vowel
R: a sonorant other than /ɾ/; i.e. one of /m n ŋ l/
C2: one of /m n ŋ t k ɸ s χ l/
Allophony
- Velar or uvular obstruents or nasals [ŋ k χ ...] assimilate in uvularity to a following back obstruent or nasal.
- Front vowels [i e ɛ] become non-front [ɨ ɘ ɜ] before an uvular obstruent or nasal.
- Non-glottal stop obstruents [b q z ...] assimilate in voice to a preceding obstruent.
- Consonants [m d s ...] persistently assimilate in voice to a preceding obstruent or nasal. After a voiceless obstruent, nasals are deleted.
- Nasals [m n ŋ ɴ] persistently become nasals and assimilate in place of articulation to a following obstruent.
- Alveolar taps [ɾ̥ ɾ] become obstruents [t d] before an alveolar approximant.
- Consonants [m k x ...] persistently assimilate in voice to a following obstruent or nasal and become voiceless word-finally. Before a voiceless obstruent or pause, nasals are deleted.
- Short non-glottal stop velar or uvular voiced stops [g ɢ] become fricatives [ɣ ʁ] between a vowel and a vowel or resonant.
Some words
| /χɔɸo/ | [χɔɸo] |
| /ɾɔt/ | [ɾɔt] |
| /begɔm/ | [beɣɔ] |
| /lelel/ | [lelel̥] |
| /kɛ/ | [kɛ] |
| /silɔl/ | [silɔl̥] |
| /dɔlsɔl/ | [dɔl̥sɔl̥] |
| /bɔgim/ | [bɔɣi] |
| /deltel/ | [del̥tel̥] |
| /kiŋse/ | [kinze] |
| /budɔ/ | [budɔ] |
| /ʁɛχle/ | [ʁɜχl̥e] |
| /tilχoŋ/ | [til̥χo] |
| /suɾɔ/ | [suɾɔ] |
| /ɸumbɔ/ | [ɸumbɔ] |
| /ɸui/ | [ɸui] |
| /lelngen/ | [lelŋge] |
| /zolbɛ/ | [zolbɛ] |
| /luχɔ/ | [luχɔ] |
| /tɛŋɸen/ | [tɛmβe] |
| /lɛmn/ | [lɛ] |
| /kɛŋɸos/ | [kɛmβos] |
| /sɛndɔ/ | [sɛndɔ] |
| /ɸɔmlɾɛl/ | [ɸɔmlɾɛl̥] |
| /sɔɾu/ | [sɔɾu] |
| /nɔnl/ | [nɔnl] |
| /dɔŋ/ | [dɔ] |
| /tulk/ | [tul̥k] |
| /geŋɸɔ/ | [gemβɔ] |
| /likŋom/ | [liko] |
Generated by Gleb version 0.3.2 / 5.0a with seed 9818143739.