Roma
- Language Family
- Austronesian
- Subgroup
- Malayo-Polynesian
- Area
- —
Summary
Metathesis occurs when a glide or high vowel is followed by a consonant over a morpheme boundary.
Consonant-final noun roots ending with (C1)V1C2 metathesize to (C1)C2V1 in certain syntactic environments.
To satisfy a constraint against /h/ following a consonant, the /h/ metathesizes with the prior consonant(s).
Type(s) of metathesis
| Type | Status | Optionality | Position | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a. CC | Synchronic | Obligatory | Adjacent | Between root and prefix | |
| b. CV | Synchronic | Obligatory | Adjacent | Root-final | |
| c. CC | Synchronic | Obligatory | Adjacent | Between root and prefix |
Case types and qualities
-
- CC
-
- C1:
- Glide
- C2:
- Any
-
- CV
-
- C:
- Any
- V:
- Any
-
- CC
-
- C1:
- Any
- C2:
- Glottal fricative
Examples
Metathesis occurs when a glide or high vowel is followed by a consonant over a morpheme boundary:
aw- + -kara --> /akwarar/ [?akWaRar] 'I cry'
mw- + -kara --> /mkwarar/ [m'kWaRar] 'you (sg) cry'
my- + -kara --> /mkjarar/ [m'kJaRar] 'you (pl) cry'
The context of this metathesis has been generalized to environments not involving morpheme boundaries by younger speakers:
[vroin] (older generation) vs. [rWoin] (younger) 'knowledge'
[vledan] vs. [lWedan] 'hill'
[naVla] vs. [nalWa] 'she walks'
aw- + -kara --> /akwarar/ [?akWaRar] 'I cry'
mw- + -kara --> /mkwarar/ [m'kWaRar] 'you (sg) cry'
my- + -kara --> /mkjarar/ [m'kJaRar] 'you (pl) cry'
The context of this metathesis has been generalized to environments not involving morpheme boundaries by younger speakers:
[vroin] (older generation) vs. [rWoin] (younger) 'knowledge'
[vledan] vs. [lWedan] 'hill'
[naVla] vs. [nalWa] 'she walks'
Consonant final roots that end with (C1)V1C2 metathesize to (C1)C2V1. This occurs if the root is a noun, and occurs as an unmodified subject or in the environment of certain enclitics. Stevens 1991 gives the following examples of metathesized and non-metathesized underlying forms:
/hiwti/ --- /hiwti/ 'machete'
/kekna/ --- /kekna/ 'water jug'
/lohun/ --- /lohnu/ 'rainbow'
/lyuin/ --- /lyuni/ 'pillow'
/oir/ --- /ori/ 'water'
/yair/ --- /yari/ 'wave'
/hiwti/ --- /hiwti/ 'machete'
/kekna/ --- /kekna/ 'water jug'
/lohun/ --- /lohnu/ 'rainbow'
/lyuin/ --- /lyuni/ 'pillow'
/oir/ --- /ori/ 'water'
/yair/ --- /yari/ 'wave'
There is a prohibition on /h/ following a consonant. When such an environment emerges, the /h/ is realized preceding the prior consonant(s):
aw- + -hapa --> /ahwapa/ 'I plant'
mw- + -hapa --> /hmwapa/ 'you plant'
n- + -hapa --> /hnapa/ 'he plants'
a- + -hapa --> /ahmapa/ 'we (excl.) plant'
aw- + -hapa --> /ahwapa/ 'I plant'
mw- + -hapa --> /hmwapa/ 'you plant'
n- + -hapa --> /hnapa/ 'he plants'
a- + -hapa --> /ahmapa/ 'we (excl.) plant'
Conditions
No conditions could be found
Motivations
No motivations could be found
Symbols
Comments
Bibliography
- Stevens, Lee Anthony. 1991. The phonology of Roma, an Austronesian Language of Eastern Indonesia. MA Thesis. The University of Texas at Arlington.