| /-cch-/ |
/b ccho/
|
‘calf’
|
|
/kUcchi/
|
‘churning rod’
|
|
/-jj-/
|
/gjj /
|
‘thunder’
|
|
/-kk-/
|
/tkku/
|
‘spindle’
|
|
/nIkko/
|
‘small’ |
|
/kUkk /
|
‘cock’
|
|
/-gg-/
|
/chIggo/
|
‘sixteenth’
|
|
/-mm-/
|
/lmmo/
|
‘tall’
|
|
/kÙmm/
|
‘whirlpool’
|
|
/-nn-/
|
/jnnũ/
|
‘knee’
|
|
/-ss-/
|
/sssu/
|
‘mother-in-law’
|
|
/-ll-/
|
/tllo/
|
‘ground, plane land’
|
|
/sIllo/ |
‘head/ear of the corn’ |
|
|
|
|
Fortis consonants are pronounced with stronger articulation and they
are bit tensed consonants. All those consonants which occur geminated also
occur as fortis. In the language such consonants occur only after /i e €
a  o u/ vowels in the intervocalic position of open disyllabic words. These
consonants do not contrast with geminates as well as lenis but because of
their closeness to lenis consonants these have been treated as allophones
of lenis consonants.
|
|
Examples
|
|
/khopo/
|
[khop.o]
|
‘coconut’
|
|
/phupho/
|
[phuph.o]
|
‘father’s sister’s husband’
|
|
/babo/
|
[bab.o]
|
‘father’ |
|
/poti/
|
[pot.i]
|
‘grand-daughter’ |
|
/thotho/
|
[thoth.o]
|
‘empty’
|
|
/dado/
|
[dad.o]
|
‘grand father’ |
|
/ga ţo/
|
[gaţ.o]
|
‘neck’
|
|
/buţo/
|
[buţ.o]
|
‘tree’
|
|
/koţhi/
|
[koţh.i] |
‘room’
|
|
/ka o/
|
[ka.o]
|
‘elopement’
|
/caco/
|
[cac.o] |
‘uncle’ |
|
/kuci/
|
[kuc.i]
|
‘brush’ |
|
/pacho/
|
[pach.o]
|
‘cotton cloth’
|
|
/gojo/
|
[goj.o]
|
‘pocket’
|
|
/ţheko/
|
[ţhek.o]
|
‘contract’
|
|
/okho/
|
[okh.o]
|
‘difficult’
|
|
/rakho/
|
[rakh.o]
|
‘watchman’
|
|
/ogo/
|
[og.o]
|
‘field’
|
/jamo/
|
[jam.o] |
‘frock’ |
|
/gani/
|
[gan.i]
|
‘necklace’ |
|
/mso/
|
[ms.o]
|
‘mother’s sister’s husband’
|
/kili/
|
[kil.i] |
‘axle’ |
|
|
(iii) Lenis Consonants:
|
|
Short/Lenis consonants are produced with weaker lax articulation. These
consonants occur in all the positions and contrast with geminated
consonants.
|
|
|
|
In this section the vowel sequences and consonant clusters will be
described in various positions.
|
|
|
At the most sequences of two vowels can occur in the language. Vowel
sequences are possible in all the three positions viz. initial, medial and
final. There are restrictions on the sequences of vowels:
|
|
(i) /€/
and //
do not participate at all in the vowel sequence.
|
