Hrmitt reference grammar

2.3. Phonological Processes

2.3.1. Vowel Pronunciation Rules

The following rules describe the currently-attested realizations of vowel phonemes:

2.3.2. Consonant Mutation Rules

2.3.2.1. Elision

The following are currently-attested patterns of consonant mutation in consonant clusters:

Also, /ʔ/ is always elided except between vowels:

2.3.2.2. Fricativisation

In consonant clusters of two adjacent stops, the first stop is fricativised:

If a voiced stop precedes an unvoiced stop, it both devoices and fricativises:

A consonant cluster containing multiple adjacent fricativised stops at the same point of articulation before another stop is fused into a single geminate fricative:

The fricativisation rule appears not to hold if the first consonant is a /t/ which is part of a /ʃt/ cluster: e. g. dahshtmi [dɑxʃtmɪ], not *[dɑxʃθmɪ].

Some affricates also fricativise into full fricatives in certain contexts:

Note that fricativisation is not directly represented in the orthography, because it is always predictable. Thus, when we write glett, it is unambiguous that its pronunciation is [ˈglɛθt], not *[ˈglɛtː]. Similarly, brettmat is pronounced [ˈbrɛθːmat], not *[ˈbrɛtːmat] or *[ˈbrɛθtmat].

2.3.2.3. Lenition

Some consonant clusters undergo lenition:

There appear to be exceptions, however. For example:

2.3.2.4. Final Stops

Word-final obstruents are devoiced.

For example, the word galb is pronounced with an unvoiced final stop: [gaɬp]. When a suffix is added, however, the underlying /b/ surfaces: galben [gaɬbən]. If the suffix starts with a consonant, the consonant that undergoes fricativisation per section 2.3.2.2 is the underlying /b/, not the devoiced /p/: galbmi is pronounced [gaɬvmɪ], not *[gaɬfmɪ].

2.3.3. Linking Consonants

Linking consonants are inserted between two morphemes in certain contexts. Generally, a linking /g/ is inserted if /ŋ/ is followed by a vowel:

A linking /n/ is inserted after a vowel if followed by an affix that starts with a vowel:

Sometimes this linking consonant may produce lookalike surface forms:

The morpheme breakdown in such cases must be disambiguated by other morphological and syntactic rules and the surrounding context, for example as described in section 4.6.8.3.

2.3.4. Accent Shifts

2.3.4.1. In 4-Syllable Words

When morphological processes produce a 4-syllable word having stress on the initial syllable, the stress is shifted to the last syllable, leaving the initial syllable with only secondary stress. For example:

2.3.4.2. With -at

The ablative suffix -at appears to attract stress, regardless of the stress position of the morpheme it is attached to. For example:

2.3.4.3. With -ai

The interrogative affix -ai is always accented:

2.3.4.4. With -'ia

The emphatic affix -'ia is also always accented: