Khutufa Phonology

 Phonemic inventory

Consonants

Nasal m n ɲ ŋ

Stop p b t d t͡ʃ d͡ʒ t͡ʃˤ k g

Fricative f v s z ʃ ʒ χ ʁ

Resonant r j w


Vowels

Front Central Back

High i u

Low a

Syllable structure

(C1)V(C2)

C1: a consonant

V: a vowel

C2: one of /m n ɲ ŋ p t tˤ k kˤ t͡ʃ t͡ʃˤ f s ʃ χ r j w/

Allophony

Vowels and semivowels other than [a], i.e. [j w i u], persistently become lax [ɪ̯ ʊ̯ ɪ ʊ] before a pharyngealised stop.

Non-glottal stop non-glottal fricative obstruents [p g v ...] persistently assimilate in voice to a preceding obstruent.

Tense vowels and semivowels [j w i u] persistently become lax [ɪ̯ ʊ̯ ɪ ʊ] after a pharyngealised stop.

Between a vowel or semivowel and a vowel or semivowel, [ʒ] become [j]; [ʁ] are deleted; [v] become [w].

Nasals [m n ɲ ŋ] become nasals and assimilate in place of articulation to a following obstruent or nasal.

Non-pharyngealised dorsal obstruents or nasals other than [ɲ], i.e. [ŋ k χ ...], become palatal [ɲ c ç ...] before a non-low front vowel or a high palatal semivowel. Uvular obstruents or nasals become palatal.

[a] become [ɑ] before a pharyngealised stop.

Non-pharyngealised non-palatal consonants other than uvular consonants or semivowels [m b f ...] become front [mʲ bʲ fʲ ...] after a palatal consonant except for a semivowel. Apical consonants other than [r] become alveopalatal laminal; [t d] become [t͡ɕ d͡ʑ]; [r] become [ɾʲ].

Velar or uvular stops or nasals other than [ɴ], i.e. [ŋ k kˤ ...], become uvular [ɴ q qˤ ...] before a non-front non-high vowel.

Velar or uvular obstruents or nasals [ŋ kˤ qˤ ...] persistently assimilate in uvularity to a following dorsal obstruent or nasal.

Obstruents [p gˤ fʲ ...] assimilate in voice to a following obstruent and become voiceless word-finally.

Palatal obstruents or nasals [ʝ ç ɟ ...] persistently become alveopalatal [ʑ ɕ d͡ʑ ...] before a palatoalveolar obstruent or nasal. Stops become affricates.

Palatoalveolar stops or nasals [t͡ʃ d͡ʒ ṉʲ ...] persistently become non-affricate non-coronal palatal [c ɟ ɲ ...] before a palatal obstruent or nasal.

High vowels and semivowels [j w u ...] become non-high [e̯ o̯ o ...] after a pharyngealised stop.

Non-high vowels [e ɛ a ...] become nasal [ẽ ɛ̃ ã ...] before a nasal.

Coronal consonants [n t͡ʃ z ...] persistently assimilate in laminality to a following coronal consonant.

Front vowels and semivowels [j ɛ̯ e ...] become central [∅ ∅ ɘ ...] before a back semivowel. Semivowels are deleted.

Some words

/zukʃi/ [zukʃi]

/siziχ/ [siziχ]

/siχi/ [siçi]

/tuputˤ/ [tupʊtˤ]

/d͡ʒaχak/ [d͡ʒaχak]

/nukd͡ʒak/ [nukt͡ʃak]

/kˤat͡ʃsukˤ/ [qˤat͡ʃ̺sʊkˤ]

/siwa/ [sɨwa]

/paŋak/ [pãɴak]

/susa/ [susa]

/mufkˤa/ [mufqˤa]

/tˤiχu/ [tˤɛχu]

/naŋta/ [nãnta]

/saka/ [saqa]

/rakˤa/ [rɑqˤa]

/kukna/ [kukna]

/rikkˤi/ [rikkˤɛ]

/kˤina/ [kˤɛ̃na]

/rupzu/ [rupsu]

/sudik/ [sudik]

/ʁinit͡ʃˤ/ [ʝinɪt͡ʃˤ]

/χi/ [çi]

/sadu/ [sadu]

/papfa/ [papfa]

/zaʁi/ [zai]

/χuʁu/ [χuu]

/ira/ [ira]

/χu/ [χu]

/na/ [na]

/tufa/ [tufa]


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