Table 2.11. Distribution of [ N ] and m, n
[
N
] preceding a velar stop
m and n in other environments goNgo
fighting game ko˘Ngo˘
squash koNkoRi•
rooster kuNku
blunt loNkHa
fighting stick b›mb¤R¤˘
spirit ganda
to be thin hente
to limp kento
callous skin ts‡˘ntHe
immature, unripe, young
The sound [ N] does not occur word-initially, but only word-medially before velar oral stops.
Since neither [ n] nor [m] is found in this environment, [N] can be analyzed as an allophone of
one of these sounds, which occurs word-medially before velar oral stops. It is proposed here somewhat arbitrarily that
n be considered the underlying phoneme in these cases. The issue of the difference between an oral vowel followed by [
N] plus a velar stop and a nasal vowel followed by a velar stop will be discussed below in section 5.3.
2.1.4 Fricatives
There are five fricative phonemes in Sandawe: labio-dental f, alveolar s, lateral ¬, velar
x
10
, and glottal h. There are no voiced fricatives. The distribution of the voiceless fricatives is
shown in tables 2.12 and 2.13. Table 2.12. Examples of
s, ¬, x
s
Voiceless alveolar fricative
¬
Voiceless lateral fricative
x
Voiceless velar fricative Word-initial:
sana beeswax
saéa weaverbird
sexema snake type
sosobe to harvest
suka to sieve milk
¬a˘ goat
¬a¬a grave
¬a¬a˘ twigs on roof
¬e later
¬¤ba to plaster
xa¬e to tease
xara¬o rake
xe to carry
xume partition wall
xu˘nu˘ spine
Word-medial syll.-initial:
¤sol arrow type
kWesega to think s
w
esemo wall sticks go˘sa˘
bee type óa˘so
moon a¬e˘
candelabrum tree huba¬e to be hazy
ma¬e to sort, choose
u˘¬¤˘ salt x
w
a¬a to brew beer
¬oxoma broth type
xoxoè˘ millipede
maxe to be crafty
tse˘xa˘ dew é‚Û˘xo
to spread out
Word-medial syll.-final:
kaska˘si• temple anat. mustHe˘ pestle
tHasno˘ liver goxpe˘
arrow shaft
10
As noted by Kagaya 1993:vi, the velar fricative can be accompanied by uvular trilling.
Table 2.13. Examples of f, h
f
Voiceless labio-dental fricative
h
Voiceless glottal fricative Word-initial:
faRe to lie
say untruth
fogoè˘ to be clear
fuRume to castrate
haba to give birth for animals
hapu you
hawe to get water
hoío to fill with liquid
humbu cow, cattle
Word-medial syll.-initial:
afa tree type
afuRe ox
lahani• promise, pawned item
mehembe single person
All the fricatives occur word-initially and word-medially in syllable-initial position. Only the fricatives
s, x, as shown in the first of the two tables, occur word-medially in syllable-final position. It seems likely that these syllable-final fricatives were once followed by vowel, which
has since been elided see section 5.3 on word-medial consonant clusters. h occurs word-
medially in only two monomorphemic words in the data set. f occurs in only the five items
shown in table 2.13.
2.1.5 Approximants and
R
There are three voiced approximants in Sandawe: lateral l, palatal j, and labio-velar w.
The distribution of these sounds is tabulated in table 2.14, together with R:
Table 2.14. Examples of R, l, j, w
R
Voiced alveolar tap
l
Voiced lateral approximant
j
Voiced palatal approximant
w
Voiced labio-velar approximant Word-
initial:
R¤k¤sa thick milk R¤ngo˘ to go around
R¤t¤mo arrow head Ro˘go knife
RoÈ˘
voice laba
much later lama
fruit type la˘e
hare leleNgi• to shake
intrans. le˘ba
tree type jaja cousin
jabe to work jame to get used to
wade friend f. to f.
wakHa˘ firewood waRaNge˘ God
wa˘Ra tree type
weRe to walk
Word- medial
syll. - initial:
aRa˘ truth deRu8
chin dRa˘ spring hare
n
óeRa˘ to leak óoRoRoÙ˘ frog
balo˘ to herd
galama rope male
something éumala˘ ant
óalo swallow
bojo seed jaja cousin
ka˘ja tree type mujo fruit type
sajo to speak gawa
hill nowe
to grind towe
to dip food tsewe to twist
óawe to fall
over sg.subj.
Word- medial
syll.-final:
gwaRtHa goat m. maRkHa equal
tuRte to visit
tsoboRsa gizzard
xu˘Rt¬o˘ arrow
type
The three approximants occur only word-initially and word-medially in syllable-initial position. The tap
R is also found in syllable-final position word-medially. As with the syllable-final fricatives recorded in the previous section, it can be assumed that syllable-final
R was once followed by a vowel.
The palatal j is quite rare. There are only three words in the data set in which it occurs word- initially and only eight in which it is found in a word-medial position. The distribution of the labio-
velar [ w] as a consonant modification will be considered in section 5.1.
2.2 Velaric consonants clicks