Tsafiki, also known as Tsachila or Colorado, is a Barbacoan language spoken in Ecuador by about 2,000 ethnic Tsáchila people.
Phonology
Consonants BilabialDentalAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottalStopvoicelessvoicedAffricateFricativeNasalLateralFlap ~ Semivowel
/b, d/ are preglottalized [ˀb, ˀd] when occurring intervocalically. /k/ can become voiced when intervocally after nasal sounds. /ɹ/ is heard as when occurring word-initially, and when following a nasalized vowel, an allophone [n] occurs. /s/ is heard as when preceding high vowels /i, u/ and after unaccented high vowels. /t͡s/ is heard as when preceding high vowels, but many speakers pronounce it as [t͡ʃ] in all environments.
Vowels Tsafiki has five vowels. Four vowels have nasalized forms.
FrontCentralBackHighMidLow
FrontCentralBackHighĩũMidẽLowã
Unaccented vowels before voiceless stops are often devoiced [ḁ].
Morphology
Evidentiality Tsafiki has a four-way evidentiality system. Unmarked verbs indicate "direct" witness.
is used when it is inferred from physical evidence.
References
External links Colorado (Intercontinental Dictionary Series)