Tabaru is a North Halmahera language of Indonesia.
Tabaru has a simple five vowel system: a, e, i, o, u.
On the surface level, Tabaru only allows syllables of the type (C)V. Words with an underlying final consonant add an echo vowel: (/ngowak/) â²childâ², (/oker/) â²drinkâ², (/sarim/) â²paddleâ², (/odom/) â²eatâ², (/palus/) â²answerâ². The echo vowel is dropped when a suffix is added: (/woisen/) â²hearâ², but (/woisen/ + /oka/) â²heardâ². Stress regularly falls on the penultimate syllable, but shifts to the antepenultimate when the word takes an echo vowel.