Flint's Phonological Notes on Garawa and Yanyula

From document 6.052

Note:

1. Evanescent final [n]:

In common with other languages recorded in this area, it is extremely difficult to tell whether final [n] exists or does not.

It is often (but not always) heard, usually in a word final position, but informants, when questioned as to whether [n] exists or not, and asked to repeat the particular word, always deny that it exists, or pronounce the word without the [n].

In [sic] this:

(a) [] ~ [n] zero.

(b) Phonological word margin marker or juncture (transition) phenomenon? (cf [h] [x] [c] in Bahasa Indonesia).

(c) Vestigial remains of a former final bound morpheme, or the reduction in fast conversation of a "lay form"? (Note: In Yiddinji and other languages [-n] [dot appears over [n] in Flint's original transcription] appears to be the remains of [-nyi] (eg [wulan] [dot appears over [n] in Flint's original transcription] and [bai-] in some of these languages is a fast conversational form of [-baya].

2. [b] tends to have a [v] quality: [b] approaches bilabial [v] sometimes.

(c) 1999-2002 University of Queensland