| The
contrast between /u/ and /u:/ in the medial position
can be seen in the following examples. |
| /tùk/ |
‘to cut with dao’ |
/tú:k/~/tù:k/ |
‘morning’,
‘morn’ |
| /tùm/ |
‘intention’ |
/tú:m/ |
‘who’ |
| /tùr/ |
‘urging to hurry’ |
/tú:r/ |
‘poison’ |
| /sùl/ |
‘uterus’ |
/sú:l/ |
‘grass’, ‘leaves’ |
| /pùt/ |
‘to carry on shoulder' |
/pú:t/ |
‘flowing out of’ |
| /pùr/ |
‘to dip a hand’ |
/pú:r/ |
‘intense
need’ |
| /zùn/ |
‘urine’ |
/zù:n/ |
‘influence of’, ‘sway of’ |
| /bùk/ |
‘foliage’, ‘clump’ |
/bù:k/ |
‘weighed’, ‘measured’ |
|
|
/bú:k/
|
‘shed’ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
the vowels in Hmar can form clusters. In most cases
they form two-vowel clusters (= diphthongs) and
in some cases, three-vowel clusters (= triphthongs)
too. |
| 2.4.1. |
Two-vowel
clusters |
|
| /ie/ |
/ríel/ |
‘hail stones’ |
|
/rìel/
|
‘avoid’
|
|
/zìekú:r/
|
‘scrap’ |
|
/mìhríem/
|
‘man’,’person’ |
|
/hrìet/
|
‘to know’ |
|
/hríet
|
‘oil’
|
|
/bìek/
|
‘speak to’ |
/ei/ |
/théi/
|
‘fruit’ |
|
/théithù:r/
|
‘lemon’ |
|
/béiphìt/
|
‘flour’ |
|
/théi
hà:i/ |
‘mango’
|
|
/lèi/
|
‘reason’, cause’ |
|
/léi/
|
‘fine’ |
|
/léi/
|
‘tongue’ |
|
/léidá:r/
|
'bamboo
tray' |
/eu/ |
/zè:ubé:l/
|
‘frying pan’ |
|
/zè:upúok/
|
‘oats’ |
|
/zèuzèu/
|
‘sometimes’ |
|
/lèulèu/
|
‘distant
sound (adv.)’ |
|
/nèunèu/
|
‘thoroughly’ |
/ai/ |
/sài/ |
‘play with’ |
|
/vài/
|
‘move
(hands) rapidly’ |
|
/cànhái/
|
‘useless
person’ |
|
/hà:ih :/
|
‘laddle’ |
|
/dà:nhá:i/
|
‘rules’ |
|
/là:ikí: /
|
‘lizard’ |
/au/ |
/náupá/
|
‘child’ |
|
/thláráu/
|
‘soul’,
‘spirit’ |
|
/thà:u/
|
‘fat’,
‘oil(y)’ |
|
/dáu/
|
‘shallow’ |
/ui/ |
/túi/
|
‘water’ |
|
/túitè/
|
‘dragonfly’ |
|
/sùi/
|
‘knot’ |
|
/bú:i/
|
‘mole’ |
/uo/ |
/púon/ |
‘cloth’ |
|
/hùon/
|
‘garden’ |
|
/púokzòu/
|
‘pop
corn’ |
|
/sùo/
|
‘to
cook’ |
|
|
|
|
| 2.4.2 |
Three-vowel
clusters |
|
| /iei/ |
/dìei/
/cìei/
/nìei/
/lìei/ |
adverbial derivatives |
|
