Bunama is an Austronesian language spoken in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands of Papua New Guinea.
Phonology
Consonants LabialDental/AlveolarPalatalVelarGlottalplainlab.plainlab.plainlab.Plosivevless/asp.ppʷt̪ʰʔʔʷvoicedbbʷdɡɡʷFricativeshhʷNasalmmʷnLateralɺApproximantjw
can fluctuate to aspirated in stressed syllables. can also be heard as word-initially in stressed syllables. can be heard as a fricative intervocalically in word-medial position. can be heard as a tap intervocalically in word-medial position. can be heard as a more fronted in unstressed syllables following vowels . Prevoicing of the lateral flap may also occur in initial positions. may also be heard as a retroflex flap depending on the dialect of the speaker. It can also be heard as when realized as prevoiced in word-initial positions. may fluctuate to a labio-dental among some speakers. may be realized as a dental approximant when before .
Vowels FrontCentralBackCloseiʊMidɛoOpena
is heard as before and after a labialized consonant, or with sounds , . It is also heard as word-medially and word-finally in unstressed syllables. is heard as word-medially and word-finally but never following labialized consonants, or semivowels . It is heard as when following sounds . can be heard as when preceding a glottal stop .
References