Erromangan Phonology

Crowley, T. (1998). An Erromangan (Sye) grammar. Oceanic Linguistics Special Publications 27: 8-39.

Consonant Contrasts

Labial Alveolar Velar Glottal

Stop p l k
Fricative v s  h
Nasal m n 
Lateral l
Trill r
Glide (w) y (w)

Stops

 Articulated phonetically as voiceless stops at the bilabial /p/, alveolar /t/ and velar /k/ points of
articulation.
 Word-final: quite noticeably aspirated
 Other positions: much less aspirated or completely unaspirated

Fricatives

 /v/ can be realized as [v], [f] or [ß]

 /s/ is pronounced as a voiceless grooved post-alveolar fricative [s]; after /t/, it is pronounced as a
voiceless grooved palato-alveolar fricative, [ ].

/susu/ [susu] ‘fantail’

/itsoŋku/[itoŋku] ‘whole’

 // is articulated as the voiced velar fricative [ ] in all environments

 /h/ is realized as a voiceless glottal fricative, that is [h]

Nasals

 There are 3 phonemically contrastive nasals realized as the bilabial nasal [m], the alveolar nasal
[n], and the velar nasal, [ŋ].

Lateral

 The phoneme /l/ is an alveolar lateral, [l].

Trill

 The phoneme /r/ is realized in most environments as an apico-alveolar tap or light trill, and is
represented as [r]. However, after the homorganic nasal /n/, it is realized as a voiced alveolar stop,
[d].
Erromangan Nominal Morphology: Nouns
Linggwistiks 190. Manahan.
 /navwanr/ [navwand] ‘bubble’

Glides

 /w/ is produced with simultaneous raising of the back of the tongue towards the velar area of
articulation and rounding of the lips.
 /y/ is produced by raising the middle of the tongue towards the hard palate, with no simultaneous
involvement of the lips.
 zero realization: /iye/ & /uwo/

Underlying Vowel Contrasts

Front Central Back

High i u
Mid e  o
Low a

 Although there are 6 underlying vowel contrasts, this is realized on the surface as a 5-way
contrast, with no contrastive schwa being found at the surface level of representation.
 Vowel length is not phonemic.
 Front vowels are articulated with spread lips.
 Back vowels are rounded.

The Status of Schwa

 Schwa is always pronounced without stress. Its occurrence is completely predictable - between
either /h/ or // & another consonant or between any consonant either /ŋ/ or / /.

/nehkil/ [nehkil ~ nehkil] ‘snake’

/yapon/ [yapon ~ yapon] ‘egret’

 It has no separate phonemic status.

Word-Initial Reduction

(a) 3 syllables or more beginning with /VmpV-/, the initial /Vm-/ can be deleted.

/umpelvi ~ pelvi/ ‘whale’

With trisyllables in which the intervocalic sequence of /-mp-/ is followed by a consonant, as well
as with all disyllables, this deletion is blocked.

/umpruŋu ~ *pruŋgu/ ‘flu’

(b) With trisyllabic (or longer) forms beginning with /VCV-/, the initial vowel can be deleted.

Erromangan Nominal Morphology: Nouns

Linggwistiks 190. Manahan.
 /ulakih ~ lakih/ ‘rat’
/uŋgkut ~ *ŋkut/ ‘river crab’

(c) With trisyllabic (or longer) forms beginning with vowels followed by clusters /nt/, /nr/ or /sw/, the
initial vowel can be deleted.

/inrowi ~ nrowi/‘always’

(d) With disyllables of the shape /VCVVC/, the initial vowel can be deleted.

/itais ~ tais/ ‘grandfather’

 These rules (a – d ) can also apply to inflected or derived forms that carry vowel-initial prefixes.
*locational derivational prefix /u-/ on disyllabic (or longer) nouns beginning with /nV-/ can have
zero realization
*initial /nt-/ -> n becomes zero

/ntample/ ‘island cabbage’ -> /tample/

Stress

 Primary stress is invariably found on the penultimate syllable.

 In words of 4 syllables or more, a secondary stress attaches to the preceding syllable but one.

[ ”sesi’maŋsi ] ‘index finger’

 Stress is applied after all morphophonemic processes.

PHONOTACTICS

While the segmental phonology of Erromangan is relatively straightforward, the phonotactics of the
language is undeniably messy.

Syllabicity

Morphologically simple free forms can have the minimal shape of just a single syllable, either open or
closed, with or without a consonant onset.

/nu/ ‘water’
/kik/ ‘you’

Vowel & Glide Sequences

Roots can contain no more than 2 vowels in sequence, with the only sequences permitted
intramorphemically being non-high vowels followed by high vowels.

/*eu/
/ai/ /ei/ /oi/ /au/ /ou/
Erromangan Nominal Morphology: Nouns
Linggwistiks 190. Manahan.
The glides /w/ & /y/ can be followed by any of the 5 surface vowels, except that /wu/ is prohibited
intramorphemically.

Root-Initial Segments
(1) Non-verbal roots – a number begin with 2- & 3-member consonant clusters; a strong preference
for initial consonants
(2) Verbal roots – never begin with consonant clusters; exhibit a strong preference for initial vowels
(~60%)

Root-Final Segments

Roots of all kinds can end in any vowel, or in any single consonant except the glides /w/ and /y/. Only a
handful of roots with word-finals consonant clusters have been attested, and these involve only /-nr/ and
/-nt).

/tavwanr/ ‘gush’
/pokitampent/ ‘door’

Erromangan Nominal Morphology: Nouns

Linggwistiks 190. Manahan.