Somali
- Language Family
- Afro-Asiatic
- Subgroup
- Cushitic
- Area
- —
Summary
In a few words, two middle consonants metathesize after syncope.
Some loanwords have metathesized variants.
Type(s) of metathesis
| Type | Status | Optionality | Position | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a. CC | Synchronic | Obligatory | Adjacent | Root-internal | |
| b. CC | Synchronic | Optional | Non-adjacent | Root-initial, root-internal |
Case types and qualities
-
- CC
-
- C1:
- Pharyngeal fricative
- C1:
- Bilabial nasal
- C1:
- Alveolar lateral
- C2:
- Bilabial stop
- C2:
- Alveolar fricative
- C2:
- Alveolar nasal
-
- CC
-
- C1:
- Any
- C2:
- Any
Examples
ʕulus + aa ---> ʕuslaa,'he was heavy'
duman + ay ---> dunmay,'got organized'
neʕeb + ayd ---> nebʕayd, 'she disliked it'
abhi ~ ahbi 'plead'
isħaan ~ iħsaan 'favor'
kabʕo ~ kaʕbo 'Kaaba'
maʕalgad ~ malgaʕad 'metal spoon'
titʃaabi ~ tʃitaabi 'test'
Conditions
Metathesis is conditioned by syncope.
Motivations
No motivations could be found
Symbols
tʃ = voiced or voiceless palato-alveolar affricate
Comments
Bibliography
- Zorc, R. David Paul & Madina M. Osman. 1993. Somali-English dictionary with English index. Dunwoody Press: Kensington, Md.