Hihak language

Sound Changes

1. The fricative /f/ shifts to /h/ in all positions.
2. Loss of all nasals /m/, /n/ in coda position.
3. Labialized stops /p/, /t/, /k/ before /o/ and /u/ shift to bilabial /b/, dental /d/, and velar /g/ respectively.
4. The velar fricative /x/ shifts to /h/ in all positions.
5. Final /a/ shifts to /e/.
6. Insertion of epenthetic vowel /i/ in word-final clusters.
7. Devoicing of all word-final voiced stops /b/, /d/, /g/.
8. The uvular stop /q/ shifts to /k/ in all positions.
9. The diphthongs /ai/, /au/ monophthongize to /e:/, /o:/.
10. Word-initial /s/ shifts to /h/.
11. Nasalization of vowels before nasal consonants.
12. Assimilation of /r/ to a following or preceding /l/ (lateral assimilation).[//li]
13. Vowel length distinction is lost.
14. The fricative /v/ becomes a semivowel /w/ in all positions.
15. Gemination (doubling) of all consonants between vowels.

Root Languages

• Proto-Alfnehr language

Spoken by

• Hihak people