Metathesis in Language 2.0

Quechua (Ayacucho)

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Language Family
Quechuan
Subgroup
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Area
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Summary

Many stems have freely alternating shapes. Metathesis is one of the ways that stems vary.

Type(s) of metathesis

Type Status Optionality Position Location
a. CC Synchronic Optional Adjacent Root-initial, root-internal

Case types and qualities

Examples

Metathesis of adjacent consonants

tapsi- ~taspi- 'to shake'
waɾma ~wamɾa 'boy, girl'

b. Metathesis of non-adjacent consonants

cimqi- ~qimci-'to blink, wink'
yuɾaq ~ɾuyaq'white'

Conditions

No conditions could be found

Motivations

No motivations could be found

Symbols

a. Consonants: /p, b, t, d, c, k, g, f, s, h, q, m, n, ɲ, l, ʎ, ɾ, ʐ, w, y/

/b, d, g, f/ occur almost entirely in Spanish loans.
ɲ = palatal nasal
ʎ = palatal lateral
ɾ = flap
ʐ = palatal retroflex spirant

b. Vowels: /i, e, u, o, a/
/e, o/ occur almost entirely in Spanish loans.

c. Stress Stress regularly falls on the penultimate syllable of a word. It may fall on the final syllable of a word.

Comments

Bibliography

  • Parker, Gary John. 1969. Ayacucho Quechua Grammar and Dictionary. Mouton: The Hague.