Vowels Nuu-chah-nulth language

vowels of nuu-chah-nulth. carlson, esling & fraser (2001)

nuu-chah-nulth vowels influenced surrounding consonants consonants conditioning lower, more vowel allophones

the mid vowels [ɛː] , [ɔː] appear in vocative forms , in ceremonial expressions. [ə] possible realization of /a/ after glottalized sonorant.

in environment of glottalized resonants ejective , pharyngeal consonants, vowels can laryngealized means creaky voice.

in general, syllable weight determines stress placement; short vowels followed non-glottalized consonants , long vowels heavy. in sequences there no heavy syllables or heavy syllables, first syllable stressed.

nuu-chah-nulth has phonemic short , long vowels. traditionally, third class of vowels, known variable length vowels, recognized. these vowels long when found within first 2 syllables of word, , short elsewhere.