| 1.3.1.6
Semi-vowels: |
| w has two allophones.
The non-syllabic allophone u occurs before or after a vowel.
w occurs between two vowels. |
| Examples: |
|
|
Phonetic
|
Phonemic
|
|
|
u
|
uak
|
wak
|
‘pig’
|
|
|
kauri
|
kawri
|
'name of
a water bird'
|
|
w
|
kuwa*
|
kuway
|
‘arecanut’
|
|
|
buwa
|
buwa
|
‘tooth’
|
|
|
| y has two allophones.
The non-syllaabic allophone i occurs before or after a vowel.
y occurs between two vowels |
| Examples: |
|
Phonetic
Phonemic
|
|
|
|
|
i
|
iak
|
yak
|
‘hand’
|
|
|
soito~choito
|
s yt
|
‘truth’
|
|
|
tai
|
tay
|
‘and’
|
|
y
|
mayu
|
mayu
|
‘elephant’
|
|
|
biyal
|
biyal
|
‘scarcity’
|
|
|
| 1.3.2.Vowels: |
| 1.3.2.1. Front vowels: |
|
i is a lower-high front unrounded vowel. It occurs in all the
three positions initial, medial and final. |
| Examples: |
|
Phonetic
|
Phonemic
|
|
i iri~i hiri
|
ihiri
|
‘queen’
|
|
banik
|
banik
|
‘shop’
|
guri
|
guri
|
‘powder’
|
|
|
E has two allophones:
(1) a higher-low front unrounded vowel E which is always followed by a in the next
syllable; (2) a lower-mid front unrounded vowel E which occurs
elsewhere.
|
| Examples: |
|
|
Phonetic
|
Phonemic
|
|
|
|
ph ra
|
phra
|
‘measles’
|
|
|
kraN
|
krav
|
‘jungle
turtle’
|
|
|
batma
|
batma
|
‘a
green vegetable’
|
|
E
|
En)i
|
eni
|
‘fishing
net’
|
|
|
bEdEk
|
bEdEk
|
‘branch’
|
|
|
moislE~moichlE
|
mysle
|
‘python
|
|
|
| 1.3.2.2.
Central vowels: |
| ยต
is phonetically speaking a back high unrounded vowel but it is grouped
with central vowels for having a pattern in the phonemic inventory.
This vowel always occurs in the medial positon. |
