:: CIIL Grammars ::

Download AO Grammar Book


		I. Phonology

1.0 The Phonemic inventory of Ao consist of 6 vowels, 14 consonants and 3 tones.
Vowels : i u
e o
a
Constants : p t k ?
c
s
z
m n
1
w y
Tones : Rising /
Falling \
Level unmarked

1.1 Minimal pairs are given to show the contrast between vowels, consonants and establish the phonemes.

/i/ vs /u/

í ‘wine, beer’ ú ‘leave’
milow ‘flame burning furiously’ mulo ‘agree’
kí ‘house’ kú ‘hair’

/i/ vs //

kí ‘house’ k ‘my’
ní ‘I’ n ‘spear’

/i/ vs /e/

pilam ‘think’ pelam ‘strain’
tila ‘not tight’ tela ‘offering’

// vs /u/

k ‘my’ kú ‘hair’
an ‘sun’ anu ‘again

// vs /o/

as ‘fill (a jar)’ aso ‘fall into’
k ‘my’ kó ‘a kind of basket’

/w/ vs /a/

àck ‘hide’ àcàk ‘bubble’
as ‘tomorrow’ asà ‘roast’

/u/ vs /o/

àsu ‘chop (firewood)’ àso ‘bear’
mesu ‘lift-up (beam etc.)’ meso ‘raise’

/p/ vs /t/

pé ‘snake’ té ‘ten’
kupa ‘which’ kuta ‘how’
anep ‘fold’ anet ‘preparation of flour’

/t/ vs /c/

tá ‘now’ cá ‘buffalo’
ata ‘draw (water)’ aca ‘invite’

/c/ vs /k/

co ‘shield’ ko ‘where’
aca ‘call(ask a person to come)’ aka ‘snap (fingers)’

AO Grammar Index Page

FeedBack | Contact Us | Home