4. /c/ has two variants [c] and [j]
(i). [c] is produced by the closure of the oral cavity at the
hard palate by the blade of the tongue.
The vocal cords do not vibrate.
When the contact is released the tongue is moved down slowly so that a
narrow passage is created and the air-current escapes with friction.
This sound is voiceless, palatal, unaspirated affricate.
It occurs in the following environments-
Initially before vowels Medially
with consonants
cú `mouth'
Əmcúŋ `stage'
cÌp `taste' ka?ci `valley'
sƏpcù `battle'
saci `already'
pháciŋ `gum'
(ii). [j] is produced in the
same position as for [c]; except for the fact that during the production of
this sound, there is vibration of the vocal cords.
This sound is voiced, palatal, unaspirated affricate.
It occurs in medial position only –inter- vocally and after a
diphthong (across morpheme boundaries).
[khojà] `one hundred' /khocà/
[khòjan] `nail' /khòcan/
[kƏwjoy] `mother's younger brother' /kƏwcoy/
5. /k/ is realized as [k] everywhere.
[k] is produced by stopping the air column by bringing the
back of the tongue in contact with the soft palate. During the closure, the vocal cords do not
vibrate. This sound is voiceless velar,
unaspirated stop.
It occurs in the following environments-
Initially before vowels Medially
between vowels
ku `scrapper' siko `female'
kƏn `love'
sike `forehead'
sokoy
`wrinkle'
yaki
`wrist'
kƏn
`cream'
[k] tends to be
palatalized before [e], as:
[kép] `to shoot' /kep/, [kjen] `to empty' /ken/
Medially with consonants Finally
after vowels
tokkok `hunch back' tik `pot'
soksa `hoe' tok `geer'
ka?ko `plain' (land) hak `muscle'
mikmin `eye lash' alak
`sieve'
6.
/kh/ is realized as [kh] everywhere.
[kh] is produced in the same position as per [k]; except for
the fact that during the release of this sound, the state of the glottis
continues to be in the state of voicelessness; so that between the release of the
stop and the following successive sound, a brief period of voicelessness is
heard. This is aspiration.
This sound is voiceless velar, aspirated stop.
It occurs in the following environments-
Initially before vowels only
khà? `dislike'
khò `spade'
khim `worship'
khuy? `pound'
Medially between vowels (across morpheme
boundaries):
yàkkín `daw'
[pekha:w] `squirrel' /pekhaw/
cakhú? `chest'
ñìhúk `bag'
7. /?/ is realized as [?] everywhere.
It is produced by the closure and sudden release of the vocal cords. This is always voiceless and unaspirated.
It occurs medially and finally.
(a) sa?a `now' (b) ŋo? `to be'
há?ne `to eat' ki? `like'
?at `outside' ha? `sharp'
yo?oŋe `every' ka? `land'
wú?è `a kind of fruit' ñi? `day'
maZa `full'
8. Nasals - /m/ is realized as [m] everywhere.
[m]is produced by stopping the air column by bringing the lower and upper lip into contact. The velum is lowered so as to allow the air to pass through. Simultaneously the air passess through the mouth also as lips are opened. During the closure the vocal cords vibrate.
This sound is voiced, bilabial.
It occurs in the following environments-
Initially before vowels Meidally between vowels-
mè 'in yòmè `amidst'
mók
`scream' mƏpu `from'
ma? Disappear' mƏñi? `yesterday'
mƏt hammar'
yimoŋ `deny'
(having
done something)
mù `bury' pémƏy `incense'
(dead
body)
tíma `small pox'
Medially
with consonants Finally
after vowels
nəmno `woo' ím `stop'
tìmtƏm `pack' wim `damp'
(into
a box)
mikmit `blink' mƏm `hurry'
[sombu]
`interest'/sompu/ tim `dare'
(challenge
someone
to
do something)
súm `put on' (cloths)
9. /n/ is
realized as [n] everywhere.
[n] is
produced by stopping the air column by bringing the tip of the tongue against
the upper teeth. The velum is lowered so
as to allow the air to pass through nasal cavity. [n] is heard when both the closures are
opened simultaneously both at the teeth and at the opening of the nasal
cavity. During the closure, the vocal
cords vibrate. This sound is voiced,
dental nasal.
It
occurs in the following environments-
Initially
before vowels Medially
between vowels
nè `smooth' kani `opium'
nin `silver'
Ənú `dirty'
na `ear' ñinè `lion'
no `lift up' ñìòk `tent'
nƏt `fat'
núk `corner'
Medially
with consonants Finally
after vowels
hansay `comb' cèn `lean'
lènñit `razor' wƏn `love'
hansò `stick' cín `span'
manloŋ `pumpkin' nin `shiver'
sansi `zinnea' nan `endure' (suffering)
10. /ñ/ is
realized as [ñ]/ everywhere
[ñ] is produced by stopping the air column by bringing the middle (front) part of the tongue into contact against the hard palate. The velum is lowered. The vocal cords vibrate.
This sound is voiced, palatal nasal.
It occurs in initial and medial position only.
Initially before vowels Medially between vowels
ñi two ñíñù `ewe'
ñik `call'
Əñàk `black'
ñát gum' cùñák `lead'
ñóy `couch' ñiñi `smile'
Medially with consonants
ka?àk `coal'
móŋnù `brave'
11. /ŋ/ is
realized as [ŋ] everywhere.
[ŋ] is produced by stopping the air column by raising the back of the tongue against the soft palate. The velum is lowered. The vocal cords vibrate. This sound is voiced. Velar nasal.
It
occurs in the following environments-
Initially Medially Medially with Finally after
before between consonants vowels
vowels vowels
ŋa 'five' ìŋay `bleed' aŋli `royal' yàn
`sword'
Ŋin `money' money móŋòŋ`delight' ŋeŋŋe `shortly `taŋ `fire'
Ŋók `nod' ƏŋƏŋ `many' ŋaŋŋe `hardly' phonpile up
Ŋè? `take mojsi? `annoy'
down' (form a
hook)
12. /š/ is
realized as /[š] everywhere
[š] is produced by raising the front part of the tongue
against the hard paate but not so much as to touch it. While air passes through it, it produces
friction. Here [š] is produced by the
front of the tongue raised against the front part of the hard palate. The raise of the tongue is not as much for
the production of standard [š]. But a
little less than for it. So it is termed
as pre-palatal. The vocal cords do not
vibrate and the velum is raised. This
sound is voiceless, pre-palatal fricative.
Elsewhere it is referred to as "Palatal" only instead of
"pre-palatal.
As this language has only one [š] sound, elsewhere here-after
this sound [pre-palatal [š] is represented as [s] itself.
So in orthography also.
It occurs in initial and medial positions only.
Initially before Medially between Medially with
Vowels vowels consonants
si `sleep' pesò
`bark' sóksà `hoe'
so 'skin' pasa
`tongue' saŋko `bald'
sàm `mud' hùsún
`great-grand sansí zinnea'
child
sù `grind' seso
`naval region'
(grain)
sá `tie (hair) yàsók
`rogue'
sèm `measure' (cloth) sƏwsan
`serve'
13. /h/ is realized as [h] everywhere.
It is produced by bringing the vocal cords together to the
extent of leaving a narrow opening for the air current to squeeze through
producing friction. The vocal cords do
not vibrate.
This sound is called the voiceless glottal fricative. This occurs in the following environments-
Initially Medially
há? `eat' yàkhƏy?
`fold' (army)
hip `smoke' làŋhà `glass'
hè `breathe' ka?hƏm `cultivate'
hít `tear'
(paper) hanhà `thread' (used for weaving)
Inter vocalically
Sáha `alone'
Əhì `raw'
nihóy `even'
lìhi `poison'
saha `star'
púhò `cobra'
13.
/l/ is
realized as [l] everywhere
It is produced by stopping the air column as the median line by raising the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge; so as to allow the air to escape through either of the sides of the tongue. The vocal cords vibrate and the soft palate is raised.
This is called the voiced, alveolar
lateral. This occurs in the initial and
medial positions only.
Initially Medially between vowels
lí `die' lélày
`soft' (separate kinds)
ló `hide' pilí `four'
(conceal oneself)
lá? `bow' yilƏk `continue'
lƏm `road' yàlip `trip' (cause
walker to fall)
lim `three' sèlay `divorce'
lúk `frog'
Elsewhere
Aŋli `royal'
SƏllƏk
`bat (playing)'
à?lò
`flute' (local)
15. /w/ is realized as [w]
everywhere
[w] is produced in the same
manner as [u], i.e., by raising the back of the tongue towards the velum. The difference between [u] and [w] is that
while in the case of [u] the tongue assumes a definite position with reference
to the palate and remains in that position for some time; in the case of [w]
the tongue moves towards the direction of the velum; but does not assume any
definite position so that the sound is heard only as a glide.
It is called voiced
bilabial frictionless continuant or semivowel.
When this sound occurs
initially before high vowels it tends to get tenser than when it occurs before
other vowels. eg:
wi `thread' minwè earthquake'
wù `become old'
wé `build' (a house) sƏtwù `whip'
wá `wonder' tawat `wonder'
wìm `chant' nahawan `childhood'
wòŋ `strength'
When this
sound occurs after a vowel, it tends to become laxer and shorter than when it
occurs elsewhere. eg:
wƏw `shy' yahƏw `mirror'
wáw `wash' (utensils) Əwtúŋ
`beam'
waw `need' tƏwpha? `lion cloth'
16. /y/ is
realized as [y] everywhere
[y] is
produced in the same manner as [i], i.e., by raising the front of the tongue
towards the palate. The difference
between [i] and [y] is that in the case of [I] the tongue assumes a definite
position with reference to the palate and remains in that position for some time,
but in the case of [y] the tongue moves towards the direction of the palate,
but does not assume any definite position so that the sound is heard only as a
glide. It is called the voiced palatal
frictionless continuant or semi-vowel.
When [y]
occurs in morpheme initial position or
intervocalially the tongue raises to a slightly higher position than for [I];
and it produces some audible friction. e.g.
yí `snow'
yò? `amuse' (a baby)
yƏm `wring' (clothes-outside the house)
khƏyú `ghee'
payópaternal
aunt'
hayamƏy
`daughter'
When
this sound occurs after a vowel, it tends to become laxer and shorter, than
when it occurs elsewhere. e.g.-
c y? `pain'
cey? `bite'
sèy `beer'
[ha:y] `joke' /hay/
nƏy `tie' (dhoti)
[mòñó:y] `celebrate festival' /mòñóy/
1.4. Phonetic
distribution
Tones. All the three tones occur in all the three positions
– (viz. morpheme initial, medial and final positions).
Vowels
and consonants. For the distribution of these sounds the
following table is given:
Vowels
Phoneme
Initial Medial Final
/i/ + + +
/e/ + + +
/i/ + + +
/Ə/
+ + +
/a/
+
+
+
/o/ + +
+
/u/ + +
+
Consonants
Initial Medial Final
/p/ + + +
/ph/ + - -
/t/ + + +
/c/ + - -
/k/
+ +
+
/kh/ + -
-
/?/ - + +
/m/
+
+
+
/n/ + + -
/ñ/ + + +
/ŋ/
+ + +
/ó/
+ +
-
/h/ + +
-
/l/ + +
-
/w/ + +
+
/y/ + + +
Consonant
clusters: Konyak
language is very simple regarding the consonant clusters. Basically consonant clusters are found only in
medial position. In initial position
only these clusters are noted-
kp- kpáy? `may'
khl- khlƏp `tea'
The
last one has variant pronunciation which decluusterize it-khl p. khiƏp.
There are no clusters in final position. Only two consonant clusters in medial position are found.
Usually the clusters are
found across morpheme boundaries rather than with in a morpheme boundary. The glottal stop always occur as the part of
first morpheme, so it always function as the first member in two member medial
consonant clusters. The following chart
illustrates the possible combination in medial position.
Succeeding consonants :
First Member
p ph t c k kh
m n ñ ŋ s h l w
y
p + + + + - - - + + + + - + + +
t + + + + - + - - + + + + + + +
k + + + + + + + - + + + + + + +
m + + + + + - + + + - + + + + +
n + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
ŋ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
s - - - - - - - - - - - - + - -
? + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
l - - - - - - - - - - - - + - -
w + + + + + + + - + + - + + + +
y + - + + + + + + + - + - + + +
Note: ph, c, kh, ñ and h do not
enter in the cluster formation as first member.