Į̄mχɛ̱́ phonology

Main article: Į̄mχɛ̱́

This page gives an extensive description of Į̄mχɛ̱́ phonological features.

Consonants

The consonant system distinguishes 33 phonemes, traditionally arranged in the following scheme:

		IPA			Transcription
plosive	voiceless	[p]	[k]	[t]	p	k	t
	voiced	[b]	[g]	[d]	b	g	d
	palatal	[c]		[ɟ]	c		ɟ
nasal		[m]		[n]	m		n
		[mʲ]		[nʲ]	ḿ		ń
liquid		[r]		[rʲ]	r		ŕ
fricative	sibilant		[s]			s
	velar		[x]			x
	glottal		[h]			h
	retroflex	[ʂ]		[ʐ]	ʂ		ʐ
	palato-alveolar	[ʃ]		[ʒ]	š		ž
	palato-sibilant		[ɕ]			ɕ
	palatal	[ç]		[ʝ]	ç		ʝ
	uvular	[χ]		[ʁ]	χ		ř
	dental	[θ]		[ð]	θ		ð
	bilabial		[β]			β
affricate		[ʧ]		[ʤ]	č		ǧ
approximant		[j]		[w]	j		w

The group of the plosive consonants is essentially rich and distinguishes three sub-groups: voiceless, voiced, and palatal.

The group of the nasal is substantially poorer, but anyway quite developed, with unpalatalized and palatalized variants. The group of the liquid consonant is even scarcer, with a single phoneme [r] and its palatalized variant [rʲ].

The group of the fricative consonants is overall rich in its large amount of phoneme and of points of articulation, with an extensive distinction between voiced and voiceless phonemes. The phonemes [j] and [w] have a full consonantal value and they are never regarded as semivowels.

Vowels

There are 14 vocalic phonemes.

IPA

Transcription

[i]

[y]

[ɨ]

[u]

ı

y

į

u

[ʊ]

ư

[e]

[ə]

[o]

e

ə

o

[ɛ]

[œ]

[ʌ]

[ɔ]

ɛ

ø

ǫ

ɔ

[a]

[ɑ]

a

ɑ

Aside from the composite distinction in height, backness and roundness, all vowels are framed in an elaborate tonal system, with multiple tone distinctions. This tonal system is thoroughly described below.