160
Table 3-29 - continued Word structure
Example 1
st
σ 2
nd
σ i.
CVV CV
tia˧wa˧ ‘white’ kua˧nɛ˧ ‘O-clock’
j. CCV
- k.
CVV -
l. CCVV
- m.
CCVV CV
thiu˩ʃĩ˦˥ ‘skin’ ndia˧jo˩ ‘stone’
n. CCV
thiu˧ngu˩ ‘fist’ o.
CVV ndiu˩fuɛ˧ ‘opossum’
p. CCVV
- Soyaltepec Mazatec favors simple CV syllables; however, up to two consonants and two vowels can occur
in each syllable. If a diphthong exists in a two syllable word, it is more likely to be on the second syllable; however, there are examples of words with a diphthong on the first syllable, as the second half of Table 3-
29 demonstrates, as well as words with a diphthong on both syllables, as row o demonstrates.
3.5.2 Three Syllable Words
Since there are four syllable types, there are 64 possible combinations of syllables in three syllable words. In my database, I only have examples of 17 patterns. The currently attested syllable types appear in
31. The CV structure is described on the left and examples are given in the right column. 31
Trisyllabic words CV Structure
Example 1
st
σ 2
nd
σ 3
rd
σ Transcription
Gloss a.
CV CV
CV ʔa˧ni˦ma˩
‘heart’ b.
CV CV
CCV ta˧ri˦˥sko˩˧
‘vulture’
161
c. CV
CV CCVV
ra˧ʃa˦tʔai˩ ‘grapefruit’
d. CV
CV CVV
tu˩ku˥kui˧ ‘they’
e. CV
CCV CV
βi˧ʃtu˧ts︢ĩ˦˩ ‘squirrel’
f. CV
CCV CCV
ni˩ski˧ndi˦˥ ‘children’
g. CV
CCV CVV
ta˩nga˩ʔai˥ ‘ash’
101
h. CV
CCVV CV
ti˩khai˦ts︢ɛ̃˧ ‘thinks’
i. CVV
CV CCVV
kui˧ʃi˧khũã˥ ‘that’
j. CCV
CV CV
nda˧tʃ︢a˦kũ˧˩ ‘sea’
k. CCV
CV CCV
nga˩su˩ndɛ˧ ‘world’
l. CCV
CVV CV
ndi˥fua˥ti˥ ‘petroleum’
m. CCV
CCV CV
khi˧˩ndɛ˩ti˧˥ ‘comb’
n. CCV
CCV CCV
sʔɛ˧hɲa˧ʔɲu˧˥ ‘tighten’
o. CCV
CCV CCVV
khi˧ndɛ˩thua˩ ‘door’
p. CCVV
CV CV
thia˩wa˩ja˦˥ ‘bark’
q. CCVV
CV CCV
thia˥˧ʔõ˥ngu˧˦ ‘sixteen’
In three syllable words, all three syllables can be of the same type as in CV in 31a or CCV in 31n. Usually, if there is a complex syllable it involves a consonant cluster rather than a diphthong;
however, 10 of the 51 syllables in 31 contain diphthongs. In general, only one syllable with a diphthong
101
This word is usually used as part of the phrase, ndɛ˧su˦ ta˩nga˩ʔai˥ which is translated as a whole as
‘ash’.
162
appears per word; however, one example, 31i, contains two. Three examples, 31i, p, q, have the diphthong on the first syllable, two, 31h and l, on the second and five, 31c, d, g, i and o on the final
syllable. None of the patterns which appear have diphthongs on all three syllables. The three most common patterns are trisyllabic words with CV on each syllable as in 31a, words with a CCV on the final syllable
but CV on the first two syllables as in 31b and words with the first and last syllables as CV with CCV on the middle syllable as in 31e. The most complex syllable of Soyaltepec Mazatec i.e., CCVV can occur
in any syllable position: first, 31p and q, second 31h or third 31c, i and o. These examples demonstrate that there are no restrictions as to placement of syllable types in Soyaltepec Mazatec.
3.6 Stress
