Kuman language (New Guinea)

Phonology

Like other Chimbu languages, Kuman has rather unusual lateral consonants. Besides the typical , it has a "laterally released velar affricate" which is voiced medially and voiceless finally (and does not occur initially). Based on related languages, this is presumably , allophonically (see voiceless velar lateral fricative).

Consonants

• Voiced plosives are usually prenasal, but may fluctuate in word-initial position as ordinary voiced stops .
• Voiceless stops are always aspirated in word-initial position.
• only occurs word-medially and word-finally. In word-final position it is heard as a trill .
• can be pronounced as , in word-initial position.
• can be pronounced as before front vowels .
• is heard as voiceless or fricative , when preceding a consonant. It is heard as a voiced fricative when between vowels. It is also heard as an alveolar fricative before an /s/.

Vowels

• /a/ can be heard as either central or back in free variation.
• /e/ is pronounced as as a first vowel in a word.
• /o/ is pronounced in its lax form as before /ɾ/.

Syllable patterns

Syllable structure is (C)V(C). Any consonant can occur in onset position, but in coda position only /m/, /n/, /gɬ/, /l/ and /k/ can occur.