Awa language (Papua New Guinea)

Awa is a Kainantu language of Papua New Guinea.

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

Allophones

• /p/, /t/, and /k/ are [β], [ɾ], and [É£] 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