Phonology

 

Vowels

Ikema has 4 common vowels. However, the 'e' and 'o' are very restricted in their use.

Front Central Back
High i ɨ u
Mid (e) (o)
Low a
Consonants

Ikema has 18 consonants.

  • Bilabials pronounced with the lips: p/b, f/v, m, and w.
  • Alveolars: /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /n/, /m̥ /, /n̥ /, and the flapped ɾ
  • Palatals: /tɕ/, /j/
  • Velars: /k/, /g/
  • Glottal: /h/

Interestingly, Ikema has a very rare phonetic feature. Its voiceless /n̥ / carries its own mora and only preceeds other nasals.

 

More detailed information is available here:

Hayashi, Yuka. "Ikema (Miyako Ryukyuan)." An Introduction to Ryukyuan Languages (2010): 167-188.