Tumata

=Phonology=

Consonants
Tumata consists of three voiceless plosives /p t k/, one voiceless frictive /s/, two liquids /ɾ l/, and two nasals /m n/, bringing the total consonant count to eight. However, when spelling the language using Latin orthography, there are an additional seven consonants which would otherwise be marked with diacritics or assumed based on location.

Note the difference between the pronunciation of the letter R when geminated. Singular it is a tap /ɾ/ while geminated it is a trill /r:/. This is similar to the way the letter R is treated in the Spanish language.

There are an additional seven letters which are used in the Latin transcription of Tumata which would not be written in the Tumata orthography, either because they are marked with diacritics or because they are inferred through consonant gradation. Each of the plosives /p t k/ and the frictive /s/ all become voiced /b d g z/ when the rules of consonant gradation apply. Additionally, consonants can be palatalized, in which case they are followed with the letter Y, and labialized, in which case they are followed with the letter W. These would be marked with diacritics. Additionally, a vowel can be aspirated, in which case they are preceded by the letter H. This would also be marked by diacritics.