Yukulta Phonology
The Sound System of Yukulta.
The sound system of Yukulta is similar to that of many other Australian languages - a three vowel system of short and long vowels, and 18 consonants distributed across six places of articulation.
Consonants
The consonants of Yukulta are set out below according to place and manner of articulation. Consonants may be classified as coronal (articulated using the tip of the tongue), and non-coronal.
| manner of articulation | place of articulation | |||||
| non-coronal | coronal | |||||
| bilabial | dorso- velar |
apico- alveolar |
apico-post- alveolar |
lamino- dental |
lamino- palatal |
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| stop | p | k | t | rt | th | ty |
| nasal | m | ng | n | rn | nh | ny |
| lateral | l | rl | ||||
| tap | rr | |||||
| glide | w | r | y | |||
The table demonstrates that each stop has a corresponding nasal at the same place of articulation. Voicing is not distinctive for Yukulta stops, but tends to be governed by the phonological environment. The tap /rr/ is often realised as a flap.
Vowels
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Yukulta vowels are organised as indicated in the table at right. Vowel length is significant in Yukluta: each vowel occurs in either a long or short form; the majority of vowels are short. Lip rounding does not vary significantly between front and back vowels. |
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