Surui language
Tupian language spoken in Brazil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suruí (of Jiparaná), also known as Paíter or Suruí-Paíter, is a Tupian language of Brazil. The Suruí of Rondônia call themselves Paiter, which means “the true people, we ourselves".[2] They speak a language of the Tupi group and Monde language family. There were 1,375 Suruí-Paíter in 2014.[3]
Phonology
Vowels
Consonants
- /β/ can be heard as either [β] or [w] in free variation, and as [ɸ] when before voiceless consonants.
- /b/ can be heard as prenasal [ᵐb] when after a nasal vowel, or when in initial position.
- /h/ can be heard as voiced [ɦ] when between vowels. It is also said to be heard as a voiceless lateral [l̥], among elder speakers.
- /j/ can be heard as nasal [j̃] when preceding or in between nasal vowels.
- Sounds /p, t, k, m, n, ŋ/, can be heard as [p̚, t̚, k̚, m̚, n̚, ŋ̚] in word-final position.[4]
