Bunama language
Bunama is an Austronesian language spoken in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands of Papua New Guinea.
Phonology
Consonants
- can fluctuate to aspirated in stressed syllables.
- can also be heard as word-initially in stressed syllables.
- can be heard as a fricative intervocalically in word-medial position.
- can be heard as a tap intervocalically in word-medial position.
- can be heard as a more fronted in unstressed syllables following vowels.
- Prevoicing of the lateral flap may also occur in initial positions.
- may also be heard as a retroflex flap depending on the dialect of the speaker. It can also be heard as when realized as prevoiced in word-initial positions.
- may fluctuate to a labio-dental among some speakers.
- may be realized as a dental approximant when before.
Vowels
- is heard as before and after a labialized consonant, or with sounds,. It is also heard as word-medially and word-finally in unstressed syllables.
- is heard as word-medially and word-finally but never following labialized consonants, or semivowels. It is heard as when following sounds.
- can be heard as when preceding a glottal stop.