2.
|
PHONOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION
|
Bhumij has 15 vowel phonemes , of these,
i, i:,
e, e:, e) are front vowels; u, u:,
o, o:, , :, õ are back vowels; a, a:,
ã are central vowels. i, c, a, o, u are short vowels and i: e:, a:, u: are
long vowels.  , ã, õ, are nasalized
vowels while are limited in distribution.
|
There are 31 consonant phonemes, of these, 17
are stops; 4 are affricates, one is fricative; 4 are nasals, one is lateral
and 2 are flaps; there are 2 semivowels. Of the 17 stops, 9 are aspirated
and 8 are aspirated stops. Of the 9 unaspirated stops, 4 are voiced and 5
are voiceless. Of the 8 aspirated stops, 4 are voiceless and 4 are voiced.
Of the 4 affricates, 2 are aspirated and 2 are unaspirated. one isvoiced and
the other is voiceless in each category of affricates. There is only one
voiceless fricative.
|
2.1.
|
List of Phonemes
|
2.1.1.
|
Vowels
|
|
Front |
Central |
Back |
| High |
i i: |
|
u u: |
| Mid |
e e: |
|
o o: |
|
|
|
õ |
| Lowermid: |
|
|
ù |
| Low : |
|
a a: |
|
|
|
ã |
|
|
2.1.2.
|
Consonants
|
| |
|
|
BL. |
DL. |
AL. |
Ret. |
PL. |
Vel. |
GL. |
| Unasp: |
|
Vl. |
P |
t |
|
 |
|
k |
? |
| Vd. |
|
b |
|
d · |
|
g |
|
| Stops: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Asp: |
|
Vl. |
Ph
|
th
|
|
h |
|
kh |
|
| . |
Vd |
bh
|
dh
|
|
 h
|
|
gh |
|
| Unasp |
|
Vl. |
|
|
|
|
č |
|
|
| Affricates: |
Vd. |
|
|
|
|
j |
|
|
| Asp: |
|
Vl . |
|
|
|
|
čh |
|
|
| |
Vd. |
|
|
|
|
jh |
|
|
| Fricative: |
|
Vl. |
|
|
s |
|
|
|
|
| Nasals: |
|
Vd. |
m |
|
n |
¸ |
|
ŋ |
|
| Lateral : |
|
Vd. |
|
|
l |
|
|
|
|
| Flaps : |
|
Vd. |
|
|
r |
 |
|
|
|
| Glides : |
|
Vd. |
w |
|
|
|
y |
|
|
|
| Bl : |
bilabial |
Vel : |
Velar |
Unasp : |
Unaspirated |
| Dl : |
dental |
Gl : |
glottal |
Asp : |
Aspirated |
| Al : |
Alveolar: |
Vl |
voiceless |
|
|
| Ret: |
Retroflex |
Vd : |
voiced |
|
|
| Pl :
|
Palatal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
