Nother/Brownie

Phonology

Consonants

Voiced stops

  b (b)  d (d)  ɡ (g)

Ejective stops

  pʼ (p)  tʼ (t)  kʼ (k)

An epenthetic consonant [h] is inserted when there is no other consonant between two vocalic vowels, and in some speakers it appears in place of null initial as well.

The voiced series nasalize word-initially to [m n ŋ].

Vowels

 a (a)  ɛ (e)  i (i)  u (u)  
 á (á)         í (í)  ú (ú) 
 ʃ̩ (š)  s̩ (s)

The second series may be decribed as high tone, though they are more usually characterized as 'hooted'. S and š do pattern as vowels in Skeskatai.

Accent

Stress accent is on the final syllable.

Morphology

Most roots are disyllabic (C)V. Some exceptions exist, like šaú [S.a.hú] "human"; these are chiefly loanwords.

Grammar

Isolating; head-first.

Lexicon

• aá [ahá] "other"
• ádu [ádu] "all"
• ae [ahɛ] "I, me"
• babe [mabɛ] "word"
• bábu [mábu] "want"
• babú [mabú] "much, many"
• badú [madú] "one"
• báku [mákʼu] "body"
• bebá [mɛbá] "bad"
• bíá [míhá] "be in/at"
• bíá [míhá] "before"
• bíe [míhɛ] "be (copula)"
• bibá [mibá] "big"
• bís [mís] "feel"
• búbu [múbu] "move"
• dabu [nabu] "die"
• dádí [nádí] "for a long time"
• dee [nɛɛ] "there is/there are"
• dibí [nibí] "live"
• diš [niʃ] "this"
• dúbá [núbá] "do"
• duš [nuʃ] "know"
• epu [ɛpʼu] "after"
• gubu [ŋu.bu] "good"
• kage [kʼaɡɛ] "kind, type"
• kibu [kʼibu] "for a short time"
• papá [pʼapʼá] "part"
• píbú [pʼíbú] "people"
• sbá [spá] "someone"
• sí [sí] "same"
• sbí [spí] "see"
• sdí [stí] "say"
• sdú [stú] "some"
• sge [ske] "folk, race, people"
• sge ška daí "Skeškatai"
• spá [spʼá] "small"
• ša [ʃa] "hear"
• šaú [ʃahú] "human" (?)
• šbe [ʃpɛ] "true"
• šbí [ʃpí] "happen"
• šku [ʃkʼu] "think"
• šš [ʃʃ] "have"
• šte [ʃtɛ] "something"
• štú [ʃtʼú] "you"
• tatá [tʼatʼá] "touch"
• tate [tʼatʼɛ] "time"
• túdú [tʼúdú] "two"