These
are high front unrounded vowels. The conditions of occurrence
of /i/ and /i:/ are not very distinct. Generally /i/ occurs
in all the three positions; /i:/ occurs more frequently
in medial and final positions than in the initial position.
Initial
Medial
/ín/
‘house’
/rím/
‘odour/scent’
/ìntém/
‘to teste’
/ìnrím/
‘hard-working’
/ìnlùm/
‘to heat’
/níhlíep/
‘umbrella’
/ìncèiná/
‘dress’
/thí:r/
‘metal’
/í:tsì:k/
‘to envy’
/thlì:r/
‘to
view’
/í:p/
‘to control urge’
/sí:r/
‘edge/corner’
Final
/ìnnùi/
‘to laugh’
/ìnnèi:/
‘to wed’
/ántùi/
‘vegetable
soup’
/pàtzá:i/
‘thread’
/sámthì:/
‘comb’
/pà:rhì;/
'garland’
the
contract of /i/ and /i:/ could be seen in the following
examples:
/lím/
‘picture’
/lì:m/
‘to cross by jumping’
‘to uncover/unveil’
/mìt/
‘eye’
/mí:t/
‘gall bladder’
/sín/
‘work’
/sì:n/
‘lid’
/sìk/
‘to pinch with nails’
/s:ík/
‘to harvest’
/sìr/
‘to visit/ to tread o’
/sí:r/
‘corner/edge’
2.3.2
/e,
e:/
These
are high mid front unrounded vowels. Their conditions
of occurrence are not very distinct. Generally, /e/ occurs
more frequently in initial and medial
positions and less frequently in the final position.
/e:/
occurs in medial position, more frequently in final position
and less frequently in initial position.
Initial
/én/
‘to see’, ‘to look’
/é:l/
‘thigh’
/èm/
‘to heat’
/é:k/
‘stool’
/èr/
‘to compete’
/é:kìn/
‘toilet’
/èl/
‘to shine on’
/è:mè:m/
‘very much’
/é/
‘yellow’
/é:/
‘light’, envy’
Medial
/béi/
‘bread’
/bé:l/
‘cooking pot’
/séi/
‘long’
/kè:l/
‘goat’
/méi/
‘fire’
/sè:l/
‘dispute’
/léi/
‘tongue’, ‘fine’
/hmé:lmá:/
‘enemy’
/béisèi/
‘hope’
/zúpé:/
‘sour beer’
/méikhù:/
‘smoke’
/sé:kì/
‘big basket’
/bera:m/
‘sheep’
/sè:hríet/
‘chewing gum’ ‘rubber’
Final
/nír:sè1/
‘so be it’
/bé:/
‘beans’
/thrlé/
‘let’s go’
/n:tfé:/
‘sponge gourd’
/pérlé/
‘give him’
/hlé:/
‘palm’
/(à)lúmdé/
‘It’s hot’
/bèté:/
‘cluster beans’
/dùmdé:/
‘fire-flies’
The
contrast of /e/ and /e:/ could be seen in the following
examples:
hì;/
’
:sè1/
r
:tfé:/
