Examples:
hedo | 'he went' | hedhu | 'I went' | |
hedh | 'you went' | hedaccıhu | 'you (pl.) went' |
/l/ is formed farther forward in the mouth than English l and is very much like french l in elle or Italian l in lingua. The middle of the tongue is closer to the roof of the mouth than it is for English l.
Examples:
alə | 'he said' | allə | 'there is' |
/ñ/ is like ny the sound in English canyon. Technically a palatalized n [ñ] or [ny].
/r/ is rolled or flapped - the tip of the tongue striking one or more times on the gum ridge behind the upper teeth. It is very much like Italian r in caro.
Examples:
nəggərə | 'he told' | roman | 'pomegrenate' | |
bərrədə | 'it was cold' | bırr | 'dollar' |
/š/ approximates the sh sound in English harsh rather than in she. It is close to the French ch in chat.
/t/ is made against the teeth rather than against the ridge back of the teeth as in English. It is otherwise very much like English t except in the final position where it is more aspirated (released with a short puff of breath).
/ž/ is like the French j in jour or somewhat like the English s in in pleasure.
/'/ is a glottal stop [ʔ], a stoppage of breath which can be heard before each of the words: in English if these words are pronounced slowly and deliberately.
/y/ like y in yes, yeast, etc. Between vowels /y/ is just a kind of trough in between the vowel peaks. Both vowels are said distinctly, e.g. /kəyət/ 'where from' /getaye/ 'sir', etc.
/w/ like w in west. Between vowels /w/ is a slight w-glide, e.g. /baKlowoc/ 'mules'. Where the second vowel is an /o/, /w/ stands for the same kind of trough as described above in the case of /y/. The /w/ trough or glide is rounded. Compare the /w/ glide in /awo/ 'yes', /səwoc/ 'people' with the /y/ glide in /mayət/ 'to see' and /ıyut/ 'look at it'.
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