Phonology
Consonants
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bilabial
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labiodental
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dental
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(post)alveolar
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velar
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uvular
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| nasal
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m |
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n |
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| stops
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t d |
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k g |
q
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| fricatives
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f v |
þ ð |
s̺ˡ ʃ |
x |
χ
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| tap
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ɾ |
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| approximant
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w |
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| lateral
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l |
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Vowels
Chrysophylax/merrish has, in the traditional analysis, a phonemically vertical three-vowel system. There is no length distinction. Phonetically, the low vowel a can be realised as a back, semi-rounded vowel [ɑʷ] before uvular consonants or as an (occasionally long) [æ] before a historical /j/ (written ⟨gh⟩ in the orthography).
Some have argued one should count another vowel phoneme æ on the basis of minimal pairs such as mbha [mwa] and mbhagh [mwæː]. Traditionally, however, consensus has been that in light of its restricted appearance (only appearing before historical /j/, does not appear in CVC syllables) and metrical patterning (CV syllables with *æ count as heavy syllables unlike those with an /a i u/), æ is at most a marginal, emerging phoneme and better viewed as an allophone of /a/.
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Front
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Near-front
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Central
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Near-back
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Back
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| Close
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| Near‑close
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| Close‑mid
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| Mid
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| Open‑mid
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| Near‑open
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| Open
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