Awa language (Papua New Guinea)

Awa is a Kainantu language of Papua New Guinea.

Phonology

Consonants + Consonant phonemes Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal Nasal Stop Affricate Approximant Trill

Vowels

FrontCentralBackHighMidLow

Allophones /p/, /t/, and /k/ are [β], [ɾ], and [ɣ] intervocalically after mid and back vowels /r/ is [d] following the vowel [i], and [r] elsewhere /t̪s/ is voiced [d̪z] after a nasal consonant /j/ may be pronounced [z]

Phonotactics

Syllables follow the structure (C)V(C) The phonemes /b/, /g/, /r/, and /j/ do not occur word initially /ʔ/ is the only consonant occurring word finally

Tone Awa has the high, low, rising, and falling tonemes

References