1.2.2. /e/ is a higher-mid front unrounded vowel. This has an
allophone []
which is a higher-mid central unrounded retroflexed vowel. The
distribution of []
and [e] is as follows:
[]
occurs in syllables whose onset and offset are consonants :
pé
[p']
‘snake’
té
[t]
‘ten’
sen
[sn]
‘money’
[e] occurs elsewhere :
entok
[endk]
‘throw away’
ensi
[enši]
‘spill (liquid)’
mecà
[mec]
‘ant’
tení
[tení]
‘nose’
In the initial position
[e] is preceded by a weak palatal glide and may be transcribed
as [].
1.2.3. //
is a high back unrounded vowel. It occurs medially and finally :
s
[s]
‘wood’
ck
[tsk]
‘fall off’
zl
[zl]
‘write’
k
[k]
‘my’
tes
[tes]
‘last’
1.2.4. /a/ is a low back
unrounded vowel. This has an allophone
,
which is a lower-mid back unrounded vowel.
occurs in all positions when accompanied by the falling tone :
àu
[u]
‘come’
àó
[]
‘see, find’
wà
[w]
‘go (imperative)’
kà
[k]
‘have’
maà
[ma]
‘fly’
asà
[as]
‘chirp (as birds)’
[a] occurs elsewhere :
ák
[ák]
‘pig’
ápu?
[ábu?]
‘borrow’
pá
[pá]
‘his’
tá
[tá]
‘intestine’
pá
[pá]
‘he’
ná
[pá]
‘you (sg.)’
atu
[adu]
‘dig (a hole)’
tasi
[taši]
‘spoil, become over-ripe’
aa
[aa]
‘some disease
1.2.5. /u/ is a high back
rounded vowel. It occurs in all the positions :
upá
[ubá]
‘father’
únc
[un]
‘essence’
mucá
[mucá]
‘soak’
túc
[tú]
‘oil’
temu
[temu]
‘cream’
ápu
[ábu]
‘ladder’
1.2.6. /o/ is a
higher-mid back rounded vowel. It has two allophones [o] and []
which is a lower-mid back rounded vowel. []
occurs in all positions when preceded or followed by velar
consonants :
oko
[k]
‘maternal uncle’
oktok
[ktk]
‘wipe off’
no
[n]
‘on’
ko
[k]
‘where’
àó
[]
‘see, find’
tàcó
[tc]
‘good’
[o] occurs elsewhere :
óset
[óst]
‘something’
oak
[oak]
‘wild cock’
onok
[onk]
‘we’
mopù
[mobù]
‘air, wind’
tanó
[tanó]
‘boy’
àó
[wó]
‘go’
naó
[naó]
‘flower’
sùo
[sùo]
‘cook’
The initial [o] is
preceded by a weak labial glide and may be transcribed as [].
]
which is a higher-mid central unrounded retroflexed vowel. The
distribution of [
]
and [e] is as follows:
k]
]
].
/
is a high back unrounded vowel. It occurs medially and finally :
,
which is a lower-mid back unrounded vowel.
]
t]
].
