Bunama is an Austronesian language spoken in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands of Papua New Guinea.

Phonology

Consonants

• /p/ can fluctuate to aspirated [pʰ] in stressed syllables.
• /b d ɡ/ can also be heard as [ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ] word-initially in stressed syllables.
• /b/ can be heard as a fricative [β] intervocalically in word-medial position.
• /d/ can be heard as a tap [ɾ] intervocalically in word-medial position.
• /s/ can be heard as a more fronted [s̪] in unstressed syllables following vowels /ɛ, a/.
• Prevoicing of the lateral flap [ ̬ɺ] may also occur in initial positions.
• /ɺ/ may also be heard as a retroflex flap [ɽ] depending on the dialect of the speaker. It can also be heard as [ ̬ɽ] when realized as prevoiced in word-initial positions.
• /w/ may fluctuate to a labio-dental [v] among some speakers.
• /j/ may be realized as a dental approximant [ð̞] when before /a/.

Vowels

• /a/ is heard as [ɒ] before and after a labialized consonant, or with sounds /w/, /ʔ/. It is also heard as [ʌ] word-medially and word-finally in unstressed syllables.
• /ʊ/ is heard as [ʊ] word-medially and word-finally but never following labialized consonants, or semivowels /w, j/. It is heard as [u] when following sounds /s t̪ʰ/.
• /o/ can be heard as [ɔ] when preceding a glottal stop /ʔ/.[2]

References

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