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==Phonology==
==Phonology==
The analysis of Kirtumur phonology is based only on the standard language, though some additional data from dialects may also be included. The most important sound changes are discussed too.
The analysis of Kirtumur phonology is based only on the standard language, though some additional data from dialects may also be included. The most important sound changes are discussed too.
All Kirtumur syllables have the structure '''V''', '''CV''', '''VC''' or '''CVC''', the vowel being either long or short. The vowel-initial syllable are not as often as the consonant-initial ones, but vowel-initial words are quite common. The consonant clusters can only appear between vowels and vowel sequences are possible, after a consonant between them elided due to various sound changes.
===Consonants===
===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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Kirtumur distinguishes between aspirated and unaspirated plosives and affricates. It is unknown whether this was the original distinction or it was originally based on voicing like in Cirdamur, or a different contrast. Consonant length is phonemic in Kirtumur but only in word-medial position, that is to say, between vowels only, but it can also be interpreted as a consonant cluster, considering the origin of gemination, which is assimilation of certain consonants that would otherwise create a prohibited cluster (an example of which is the word ''kukkapir'' "column", itself a borrowing from Kērsalur, originally ''*gubgabir'' from the root ''*gub'' "to support". Here *bg became *gg which gave "kk" in Kirtumur). Certain consonants, like /r/, /w/, /j/, /h/ or any aspirated consonants can not be geminate.  
Kirtumur distinguishes between aspirated and unaspirated plosives and affricates. It is unknown whether this was the original distinction or it was originally based on voicing like in Cirdamur, or a different contrast. Consonant length is phonemic in Kirtumur but only in word-medial position, that is to say, between vowels only, but it can also be interpreted as a consonant cluster, considering the origin of gemination, which is assimilation of certain consonants that would otherwise create a prohibited cluster (an example of which is the word ''kukkapir'' "column", itself a borrowing from Kērsalur, originally ''*gubgabir'' from the root ''*gub'' "to support". Here *bg became *gg which gave "kk" in Kirtumur). Certain consonants, like /r/, /w/, /j/, /h/ or any aspirated consonants can not be geminate.  


Many speakers do not distinguish /x/ in their speach word-initially and medially, merging it with /h/. Mountain dialects typically pronounce "l" as [ɫ] when geminate or syllable-final and this is viewed as standard, though a denti-alveolar [l] is preferred. /r/ is usually a trill, though a tapped pronunciation (as [ɾ]) is possible too, mostly in fast speech of a common class, this is, however, considered inappropriate among the nobility.
Many speakers do not distinguish /x/ in their speach word-initially and medially, merging it with /h/. Mountain dialects typically pronounce "l" as [ɫ] when geminate or syllable-final and this is viewed as standard, though a denti-alveolar [l] is preferred. /r/ is usually a trill, though a tapped pronunciation (as [ɾ]) is possible too, mostly in fast speech of a common class, this is, however, considered inappropriate among the nobility. Just like Kērsal, the old Kirtumur writing system used signs for a specialized sound, romanised "ř", the exact pronunciation of which is unknown. Through a number of sound changes, /ř/ disappeared as an independent phoneme from all Kyrdan languages, but it likely sounded similar to /r/, since it merged with this phoneme in Kirtumur with several marginal exceptions, where it instead became pronounced [t], for example: ''eicat'' "it sold" (from ''*eiʒař''), ''utun'' "meanwhile" (from ''*uřu'' "between").


The voiceless aspirated stops were generally lost in syllable-final position, merging with their plain voiceless counterparts or assimilating to the following consonant. In southwestern dialects the /tʰ/ irregularly became /r/ between vowels. This is also true for the standard, but limited to a few verbal prefixes before person markers. The consonants /h/, /w/ and /j/ are rare and can only be found word-initially or between vowels, they disappear when preceded by any consonant.
===Vowels===
===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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|}
|}
Vowel length was phonemic in East Kyrdan, but in Kirtumur the only vowel that has both a short and a long versions is /e/, which is still differentiated by quality: the short counterpart is noticeably more open. Kirtumur also has two diphthongs: ''"ei"'' [eɪ] and ''"au"'' [aʉ], with the second being pronounced [ɛʏ] in the northeast.
Vowel length was phonemic in East Kyrdan, but in Kirtumur the only vowel that has both a short and a long versions is /e/, which is still differentiated by quality: the short counterpart is noticeably more open. Kirtumur also has two diphthongs: ''"ei"'' [eɪ] and ''"au"'' [aʉ], with the second being pronounced [ɛʏ] in the northeast.
Early in its history a sound change took place that gave rise to the Kirtumur vowel harmony. According to this rule, a front vowel differs depending on the vowel in the following syllable. When the next syllable contains a high vowel ([i] or [u]) or a diphthong, then the vowel is [i] and in other cases it is [ɛ], for instance: '''''e'''n'''e'''thachi'' "she/he gave it to them", '''''i'''n'''i'''šuki'' "she/he bought it for them". Certain prefixes, like the locative prefix, does not change, however. If the vowel is [ɛ], then both [i] and [ɛ] can appear before it, but the latter appears much more often then the former.
===Consonant clusters===
The number of permissible clusters is high, but not every consonant sequence is allowed. If a certain prohibited cluster would form, the first consonant usually assimilates to the second. but this is not always the case. Here, in the table below the most common assimilation types are shown. The first consonant is in the leftmost column, while the second consonant of a cluster is in the topmost row.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Consonant Clusters
|-
!
! ph, p
! th, t
! kh, k
! ch, c
! z
! s
! š
! x
! h
! w
! y
|-
! ph, p
| pp
| pp
| pp
| pp
| zp
| sp
| šp
| p
| p
| p
| p
|-
! th, t
| tt
| tt
| kt
| tt
| t
| st
| št
| xt
| t
| t
| xt
|-
! kh, k
| kk
| kk
| kk
| kk
| zk
| sk
| šk
| xk
| k
| k
| k
|-
! ch, c
| cc
| cc
| cc
| cc
| c
| sc
| sc
| c
| c
| c
| c
|-
! z
| p
| t
| k
| c
| zz
| zz
| zz
| zz
| z
| z
| k
|-
! s
| p
| t
| k
| c
| ss
| ss
| ss
| ss
| s
| s
| k
|-
! š
| p
| t
| k
| c
| šš
| šš
| šš
| šš
| š
| š
| k
|-
! x
| p
| t
| k
| c
| zk
| sk
| šk
| kk
| x
| x
| k
|-
! h
| p
| t
| k
| c
| z
| s
| š
| h
| h
| h
| h
|-
! w
| p
| t
| k
| c
| z
| s
| š
| x
| h
| w
| y
|-
! y
| p
| t
| k
| c
| z
| s
| š
| x
| h
| w
| y
|-
|}
===Stress===
Like other Eastern varieties, Kirtumur does not possess a strong stress and thus it generally does not cause any vowel reduction of unstressed syllables (a feature, shared with Kērsalur, but not with some westernmost dialects, like Ilusal). A stress is generally fixed on the root vowel of a word, but some suffixes can cause the stress shift to the right, like the inanimate locative marker ''-enei'' which receives stress on its first vowel ([ˈlum] "surface" - [lu.ˈmɛ.nɛɪ] "on the surface" ) or the negative active present conjugation, which shifts the stress to the person suffix ([ˈkʰɑ.tʰɑ] "to stop" - [kʰɑ.ˈtʰeɪ.ŋi] "I'm not stopping him/her". In composite words the stress always falls on the second root vowel or a suffix - [nɑm.sɑ.ˈlir] "speech, the manner of speaking".


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