Consonants:
Stops: /p/ /b/ /t/ /d/ /tʃ/ <ch> /dʒ/ <j> /k/ /g/ /q/
Fricatives: /f/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ <sh> /ʒ/ <zh> /x/ /ɣ/ <gh> /χ/ <xh>
Nasals: /m/ /n/
Semivowels: /w/ /j/ <y> /l/
Vowels and Diphthongs:
i ɨ u
e o
a
The Deshow syllable structure is CV(C), with some restrictions on which consonants can occur syllable-finally. Consonant cluster are not allowed except at word-internal syllable boundaries, and even these are often reduced. ɨ cannot occur in a syllable without a non-semivowel coda.
Before uvulars, /ɨ/ becomes [ə], and /i/ and /u/ merge with /e/ and /o/ as [ɛχ] [ɔ]: fimixh - [fimɛχ]
Shoqi malnɨpi madewnow-ti jum xheymeyuwi aghoshniwi
shoq-i malnɨp-i ma-dewnow-ti jum xheymeyu-wi aghoshni-wi
girl-DEF angry-DEF APPLIC-speak-PAST around elder-DEF wise-DEF
"The angry girl spoke to the wise elder"
Stops: /p/ /b/ /t/ /d/ /tʃ/ <ch> /dʒ/ <j> /k/ /g/ /q/
Fricatives: /f/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ <sh> /ʒ/ <zh> /x/ /ɣ/ <gh> /χ/ <xh>
Nasals: /m/ /n/
Semivowels: /w/ /j/ <y> /l/
Vowels and Diphthongs:
i ɨ u
e o
a
The Deshow syllable structure is CV(C), with some restrictions on which consonants can occur syllable-finally. Consonant cluster are not allowed except at word-internal syllable boundaries, and even these are often reduced. ɨ cannot occur in a syllable without a non-semivowel coda.
Before uvulars, /ɨ/ becomes [ə], and /i/ and /u/ merge with /e/ and /o/ as [ɛχ] [ɔ]: fimixh - [fimɛχ]
Shoqi malnɨpi madewnow-ti jum xheymeyuwi aghoshniwi
shoq-i malnɨp-i ma-dewnow-ti jum xheymeyu-wi aghoshni-wi
girl-DEF angry-DEF APPLIC-speak-PAST around elder-DEF wise-DEF
"The angry girl spoke to the wise elder"