consonant cluster word medially is joined to the following morpheme or word the final vowel drops off. This leaves three consonants together and since that is an invalid cluster since the third consonant is not
a glide, see §2.2.2.2 above the low central vowel a is inserted between the first and second consonant. This provides for an allowable syllable pattern, but also creates an extra syllable. In each case the stress
continues to remain on the penultimate syllable of the original root when a monosyllabic suffix is joined to it.
larna + mota → |larnmota| → [laranmotә] ‘green fly’
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likti + -ni →
|liktni| →
[likatni] ‘his house’
ʔonni + -wa → |ʔonnwa| → [
ʔonanwa] ‘the end’
n̤niaʔerti + -ni → |nniaʔertni| → [nniaʔeratni] ‘its meaning’ rule: _VCCVnoun + CV
→ _VCaVCV
2.4.3 Glottal-influenced vowel harmony
One major exception to the above reduction rule is when a glottal ʔ or h occurs before the final
vowel in the first word which would normally be reduced. In these cases the final vowel remains and harmonizes with the vowel preceding the glottal. Because reduction does not occur, stress is forced to
move from the penultimate of the root to the penultimate of the new phonological word.
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wo ʔa + -ni →
|wo ʔani| →
[wo ʔo-ni]
‘its fruit’ to
ʔa + -la → |to
ʔala| → [to
ʔola] ‘different’
lehu + -ni →
|lehuni| →
[lehe-nu] ‘mortar’
niha + -ni →
|nihani| →
[nihi-ni] ‘his teeth’
rule: V1hV2, V1 ʔV2 → V1hV1, V1ʔV1 + CV
2.4.4 Metathesis of verb final syllables
As mentioned above, when morphemes or words having consonant clusters word medially are joined together two different kinds of processes occur. The first is reduction and insertion of a which occurs
on nouns see §2.4.2 above. The second process is the metathesis of the final syllable on verbs. The reason why nouns follow one process and verbs another is unclear, perhaps one has to do with
suffocation and the other clitics.
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However, as with the nouns, the stress continues to remain on the penultimate syllable of the original root when a monosyllabic word is joined to it.
ʔernu + la → |
ʔernula| → [
ʔerunlә] ‘go down to’
towru + doyni → |towrudoyni|
[towurdoyni] ‘spill completely’
hopla + -wa → |hoplawa|
[hopalw ә]
‘sailed’ hopna + pa
→ |hopnapa|
[hopanp ә]
‘order for’ rule: C V
→ [V C C __ ] verb + C V
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When bisyllabic roots are joined with the preceding word, the primary stress shifts to the penultimate syllable of the new phonological word see §2.4.5 below.
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One reason for this exception may be because glottal Ɂ and h are not able to cluster with other consonants
across morpheme boundaries only within them. Therefore reduction cannot occur, but vowel harmony does in order to show they have joined into one phonological word.
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An example of a contrastive pairs are: Ɂulti + pa → Ɂulatpa
‘skin for’ {noun}
kulti + pa → kulitpa
‘stick together for’ {verb}
2.4.5 Summary of word final environment rules
