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5. Low central vowel / a /

It has two allophones [«] and [a]. If in the preceding syllable, [a] occurs in high or level tone, in the next syllable, [«] occurs. If the syllable carries low tone, [«] will occur. It also occurs in vowel nuclei.


(i)
[azn]
‘friend’
(ii)
[al$g]
‘hand’
[mį]
‘not’
[pįn«$m]
‘getting’
[yįne]
‘rotten’
[un$m]
‘taming’
[pįt]
‘to get’
[giam]
‘going’
[luka]
‘say’
[sśp$k]
‘now’

6. High back vowel / u /

It has three allophones, ie., [u], [u_] and [U]. The allophone [u] occurs only preceded or followed by /y/, /r/, /l/ and /z/ in high tone. Occurrence of [U] is confined to only vowel clusters and low tone. [u_] occurs elsewhere.


[śy]
‘tuesday’
[almne]
‘solid’
[ryi]
‘edge’
[zne]
‘wet’
[usanam]
‘going up’
[śdne]
‘high’
[mittŁp]
‘head’
[mŁdnam]
‘to blow’
[sUki]
‘cot’
[maUr]
‘cholera’

7. Low back vowel /¨/

It has two allophones: [] and [v]. The allophone [v] occurs in vowel clusters, in syllables preceding or following consonant clusters and in the syllables which follow the syllable formed by /i/ or /u/. Elsewhere [¨] occurs.


[vmnam]
‘to sow’
[tavk]
‘size’
[bįbvi]
‘uncle’
[bļrv]
‘brother’
[dl]
‘then’
[léknE]
‘similar’
[]
‘I’
[dėl]
‘in time’

1.4.2. Consonants

1.4.2.1. Stops

1. /p/ voiceless bilabial stop

It has three allophones i.e., [ph, [p] and [p]

[ph] is a slightly aspirated alternant of /p/. It occurs in loan words.


[phita]
‘lace’
[phura]
‘to walk’
[phta]
‘to torn’
[phukn]
‘an Ahom surname’

[p] is the checked alternant of /p/. It occurs finally.


[zįlap]
‘pick pocket’
[pėzap]
‘duck’
[kirkvp]
‘belt’
[mittup]
‘head’

[p] occurs in all other environments


[prk]
‘cock’
[pl]
‘moon’
[ppļr]
‘butterfly’
[apśt]
‘form’
[jąampÉ]
‘tomorrow’
[tumpi]
‘bet’

2. /b/ voiced bilabial stop.

It has three allophones viz., [bh], [b] and [b].

 

 

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