Metathesis in Language 2.0

Noni

Language Family
Niger-Congo
Subgroup
Benue-Congo
Area
—

Summary

Historical prefix *u- (class 3) undergoes metathesis with the adjacent onset and is realized as labialization synchronically in Noni: *u-C... > Cw...

Type(s) of metathesis

Type Status Optionality Position Location
a. CV Diachronic Obligatory Adjacent Between root and prefix

Case types and qualities

Examples

Singular (class 3)     Plural (class 4)
kwen                        ken                 'firewood'
gwɛ́ŋ                        gɛ́ŋ                  'root'
mbwesɛm                mbesɛm          'green grasshopper'

Conditions

No conditions could be found

Motivations

No motivations could be found

Symbols

Comments

Related Benue-Congo languages demonstrate similar metathesis processes. See entries for Aghem, Koshin and Birom.

Bibliography

Blevins, Juliette, and Andrew Garrett. 1998. The origins of consonant-vowel metathesis. Language 74.3 (September): 508–556. doi:10.2307/417792