| tones.
While the falling and raising tones are marked by a super script the
level tone is left unmarked. The vowels including the tones mentioned
above are set up on the basis of the oppositional features found within
a word. Given below are a few words for illustrating these oppositional
features found amongst them. Vowels /i, e, a, o, u, ö/ |
| |
Word |
initial |
| |
apu |
`father’ |
| |
ipu |
`my
father’ |
| |
opu |
`your
father’ |
| |
Word |
medial |
| |
phiwe
|
`read(Past)’ |
| |
phewe |
`sang’ |
| |
phawe |
`washed’ |
| |
howep |
`smoked’ |
| |
phuwe |
`exposed’ |
| |
Ftwe |
`reserved’ |
|
|
Word |
final |
| |
Fi |
`also’ |
| |
Fe |
`to
make road’ |
| |
Fa |
`expose’ |
| |
Fo |
`wrap’ |
| |
Fu |
`rain’ |
| |
Fi |
`laying
foundation for weaving |
| |
Tones |
|
| (i) |
apś |
`son’ |
| |
apu |
`father’ |
| |
apł |
`mushroom’ |
|
(ii) |
thį |
`filter(v)’ |
| |
tha |
`ignore’ |
| |
thą |
`cut’ |
|
(iii) |
cé |
`to
mark’ |
| |
ce |
`give
way’ |
| |
cč |
`come’ |
|
|
| 2.1.2.1
The distribution of the positional variants of the vowels |
| /i/.
It is a close front unrounded vowel. It does not have any perceptible
positional variant. It does not have any special limitation in its
occurrence. Given below are a few words showing the occurrence of
this vowel. |
| [i] |
[pi] |
/pi/ |
`say’ |
| |
[s&i] |
/si/ |
`do’ |
| |
[hi] |
/hi/ |
`take
out’ |
| |
[s&wuve] |
/siwuwe) |
`become’ |
| |
[vilopi] |
/wilopi/ |
`tell
him’ |
| |
[iFöva] |
/iFöwa/ |
`come
in’ |
| |
[is&i] |
/isi/ |
`today’ |
| |
[Ćlķ] |
/alķ/ |
`a female mithun which has not yet born a calf’ |
| |
[Ćli] |
/ali/ |
`a
male pig’ |
| |
[Ćlģ] |
/alģ/ |
`a
pot’ |
|
|
| /e/.
It is half-close front unrounded vowel. When /e/ occurs before a word-final
/y/, it has [E] as a positional variant. [E] is a front unrounded
vowel, occurring mid-way between half-close and half-open positions.
In the wor-initial position /e/ is found to occur only in a single
word. Given below are a few words for illustrating the occurrence
of this phoneme. |
| [e] |
[ĆńhČi9] |
/anhčy/ |
`old’
(discarded) |
| |
[yeqµnhEi9] |
/yeqönhey] |
`quick’ |
| |
[ĆkhonhEi9] |
/akhonhey/ |
`knee’ |
|
[e] |
[eno] |
/eno/ |
`among’ |
| |
[Ćńhekikhķ] |
/anhekikhķ/ |
`eyebrow’ |
| |
[z&ek] |
/zekś/ |
`name’ |
| |
[qesa] |
/qesa/ |
`boast’ |
| |
[s&eqhe] |
/seqhe/ |
`admire’ |
| |
[pe] |
/pe/ |
`paddy
shoot’ |
| |
[hč] |
/hč/ |
`beating’ |
| |
[Ćs&e] |
/ase/ |
`hem’ |
| |
[Ćmic&č] |
/amicč/ |
`any
object that become smaller’ |
| |
[mic&e] |
/mice/ |
`taste’ |
| |
[micč&] |
/micč/ |
`act
of walking with crossed legs’ |
|
|
