Untitled Document


THE SOUNDS OF ROTUMAN

	2. Consonant Contrasts The 14 Rotuman consonants are pronounced below at the beginnings of words before each of the 5 main vowels. Pay special attention to the /g/, which sounds like English ng, /j/, which sounds like English ch, and the glottal stop /ʽ/, which sounds like the catch in the throat in the middle of the English oh-oh.

	A. Each consonant before /a/

	fara garue hanua jarava kafa laʽo http://gletschercasino.org/ maʽpiga nā pala rako saga tapeʽma vaka ʽala	‘to beg, request’ ‘to work’ ‘land’ ‘blue or green’ ‘to applaud’ ‘to go’ ‘grandchild’ ‘to give’ ‘to burst open’ ‘to study, learn’ ‘thigh’ ‘also’ ‘canoe’ ‘teeth’

	B. Each consonant (except /j/) before /e/

	fekau gehi kele lelei http://rawmedcol.com/ meaʽmeʽa neʽneʽi pera rere sei tē veko ʽepa	‘messenger, minister’ ‘to half close the eyes’ ‘to look’ ‘good’ ‘small’ ‘healthy’ ‘earth, soil’ ‘top’ ‘who?’ ‘thing(s)’ ‘garden’ ‘mat’

	C. Each consonant before /i/

	fisi gī hifu jio kirkiri lima mijarạni niu piko rī siko tiʽu vili ʽinoso	‘white’ ‘to whimper’ ‘seven’ ‘bottom’ ‘armpit’ ‘five’ ‘morning’ ‘coconut’ ‘lazy’ ‘house’ ‘untrue’ ‘big’ ‘to fall down’ ‘to be married’

	D. Each consonant before /o/

	folu gou hoʽi joni koho loho mose noho pogi roa soko togi voiʽạki ʽoto	‘three’ ‘I, me’ ‘to return, to carry’ ‘to run’ ‘to cough’ ‘full, satisfied’ ‘to sleep’ ‘to stay, dwell’ ‘night’ ‘long’ ‘to reach’ ‘to buy’ ‘to praise’ ‘my’

	E. Each consonant before /u/

	fuʽu gū huga juju kukulu luka mumua nuʽsura pure rua sunu tuki ʽuhi	‘to remain, stay’ ‘to grumble, complain’ ‘inside of the body’ ‘to point’ ‘to cover’ ‘short’ ‘first’ ‘door’ ‘to judge, rule’ ‘two’ ‘hot’ ‘to knock’ ‘yam’

			Home